Cabinet to review MPs rejection of agencies merger

The Cabinet sitting on Monday will review the controversial rejection of some agencies' merger and consider re-tabling them before Parliament.

Legislators this week courted controversy voting to keep the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) independent of the Ministry of Works and Transport under which the government mooted for its belonging.

The decision, tinged with allegations of bribery of MPs to keep UNRA independent, followed that of the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-Uganda) being kept away from going under the Ministry of ICT.

But the Minister for Information and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, says Cabinet will Monday discuss and review reasons for Parliament rejection of the rationalization of a number of authorities and government departments.

"By law when we passed the resolution as cabinet, we had to present them to parliament for approval, now many have been rejected, but we are going to discuss them this Monday and many will be brought to parliament for rationalisation," he said.

The Minister said Cabinet will bring back the rejected agencies because Executive hopes to reduce the expenditures.

Baryomunsi, however, rubbished claims that some Members of Parliament may have been bribed, saying the rejection was just due to differences in perception.

"I don't buy in to the issues of saying that members were bribed that can't be, they discussed and had their grounds, so I see there is intention to tarnish the name of parliament, especially you the media, this issue will be dealt with" He added

In a move to reduce the cost duplication of work, but also reduce the cost of maintaining, Cabinet passed a resolution to rationalize some of the government agencies, entities and departments into mother districts while others merged.