Minister Namuganza runs to court to challenge censure
State Minister for Housing Land and Urban Development also Member of Parliament for Bukono constituency, Persis Namuganza has dragged the Attorney General to Kampala High Court seeking to overturn her censure on grounds of unfair treatment.
Namuganza through her lawyers; Mwanja and Pande advocates, wants court to task Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka to answer why parliament flouted its rules of procedures and laws of natural justice to deny her a fair hearing before moving a motion and voting to censure her.
On January 23, 2023, 348 MPs voted to censure Namuganza after a seven-member select committee investigated and found her guilty of insulting Parliament and its leadership.
Trouble for Namuganza started in May 2022 when an ad-hoc committee implicated her for unlawful involvement in allocation of a 142-acre Nakawa -Naguru Housing Estate land to some investors purportedly on directives of President Yoweri Museveni for the development of a satellite city.
Namuganza allegedly walked out of the committee meeting and later made public comments about Parliament saying the House doesn’t have a right to investigate her and further questioned the integrity of the presiding officers.
It is after these public utterances that the Deputy Speaker of parliament, Thomas Tayebwa constituted a committee led by MP Mpaka Mwine to investigate Namuganza’s conduct.
The minister has since questioned Mpaka’s committee and their findings produced in a report tabled on the floor of parliament.
She now seeks court orders to quash the said report, saying she was not given a fair hearing or an opportunity to be heard by the select committee which renders its report illegal and procedurally improper.
Namuganza also claims that she was not availed with a copy of the said report or any evidence 5 days before it was tabled on the floor of parliament thereby denying her sufficient time to prepare and respond against allegations levied on her.
The minister says as a result of parliament misconduct, she has suffered mental anguish and now seeks compensation.
Namuganza awaits a final decision from the appointing authority, Museveni regarding her ministerial position.
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