Last week, renowned journalist Agather Atuhaire raised alarm about threats to her life after breaking the story about the cost of cars for the speaker of Parliament and her deputy that cost the taxpayer Shs 2.8 billion.
In an interview with the Nile Post, Atuhaire claimed that there is a lot of impunity at the institution and a lot of things need to be put right.
Excerpts below:
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You came out and claimed that your life is in danger. What happened?
I think by now the public knows everything almost because we had a twitter space discussion where I talked about it. The witch hunt and arrest and the investigation of people connected to me in Parliament is what at first made me realize there was a problem. There was no way they could go after those and not me who had published the information they didn’t want to be published.
But also on the day they were arrested and searched, the investigating officer who is Charles Twine had told one of them that 'the next person I will arrest to collaborate this information is Agather’. The arrest in itself is not something to fear but in this country we know how arrests are done. The problem is that I published information I should not have published. They are calling it private information but there is nothing private about public procurement.
How serious are these threats you are talking of?
It is a feeling of feeling unsafe. People should take it seriously if I am feeling unsafe, I am saying so, that should count. If we work in an environment like that, you are going to write an ordinary story for that matter and start to look over your shoulders, the problem will not be with me who is feeling unsafe, the problem will be with the environment we are working in. A friend of mine talked to the officers involved and told them that the idea is to pick her and teach her a lesson so that she doesn’t disturb those people again. What much more would you need to feel unsafe?
Chris Obore, the director of communication at Parliament insists that you are seeking attention?
Chris Obore is telling the public that Agather is looking for attention but in those messages he actually confirms it [that my life is in danger]. Why should somebody who is not interested in you keep track of your movements?
He is someone who is used not to responding to issues that are attacking personalities. I had expected that Obore’s response would be based on the information I tweeted. Maybe clarifying why Parliament thought it should buy cars that much [Shs 2.8 billion]. Why did it flout the procurement process but he didn’t. He just came to attack me. They went ahead and hired influencers to [attack me]. If I wanted I would take them to [court] for defamation.
I have never mentioned the speaker in anything I have written or said on my show. I talked about Parliament. In that procurement it was Parliament that procured cars irregularly. How does the speaker feel offended?
What are some of the dirty things that are taking place at the Parliament that we don’t know?
What is there is impunity, there is nothing else. It is the impunity of people thinking that they have power to threaten people, they have power to use police to pick up people. I have seen a copy of a report that Charles Twine gave to Parliament in that investigation where he was investigating those individuals in Parliament and I feature very prominently. There is where he said that we have observed Agather has a personal hatred for the institution of Parliament. What did he use to come up with that conclusion? Even that guy doesn’t know me.
Do you have evidence about things that you have written or discussed about Parliament?
You can check things I have said about Parliament, nothing personal and nothing that is not factual. I never write things I have no proof of. I wrote about irregular recruitment, ever since this leadership of Parliament came into power, they have recruited 200 people without any procedures. You are required to advertise for these jobs. I wish these people could come and say Agather lied here.
There are allegations that there are a lot of under hand deals in this Parliament. As someone who has covered Parliament, is it true?
When I covered Parliament in the 9th Parliament, we would hear those stories. They are not new. They are not unique to this 11th Parliament. We have stories of committee leadership taking money from the people they are supposed to investigate. It seems the leadership of Parliament is involved in those deals which was previously not much the case. I have heard about how the budget committee got into deals to increase some budget allocations of some entities. Those are things that I, who is keen of reporting about Parliament and maybe the governance of this country, generally want to do. If someone perceives that as a personal attack on them, there is nothing I can do about that. I have proof of some of the irregular things that has happened in Parliament.
In your view, do you think this Parliament has ability and courage to check the powers of the executive?
It does not and it is worse than the previous Parliament. I have seen them go and consult President Museveni about increasing their budget. If you are going to consult the person you are supposed to keep in check, how are you going to keep him in check? You have heard the Shs 40 million that was given to MPs which was for passing the supplementary budget. Can you say you can keep the executive in check with negations like those, no?
In your view, how can the Parliament regain its lost glory?
I think the change at the top [the president]. You are not going to have many people standing up [challenging the president]. People can see how he can lead to their losing of their seats in Parliament. So not many are willing to stand up to him. That problem of Parliament being like this mainly comes from the top. We have become a society that is really powerless. Look at the speaker. Who chooses the speaker in this country?
