I thought I was signing meeting attendance list - Bukomansimbi MP on censure signature

NATIONAL | The Woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukomansimbi District, Ms Veronica Nanyondo, has asked the Speaker of Parliament to consider her withdrawal of support for the motion seeking to censure four backbench commissioners.

In a letter addressed to Speaker Anita Among, Ms Nanyondo expressed her intention to disassociate herself from the motion, citing deception and a misunderstanding regarding the purpose of the document she had previously signed.

"I respectfully write to notify you of my intention to withdraw my signature from the motion seeking to censor four backbench commissioners of Parliament," she said.

Nanyondo, who is also a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP), stated that she was hoodwinked into signing what she believed to be an attendance list for a meeting called by the Leader of the Opposition in his chamber's boardroom that morning.

She emphasised her desire to rectify the situation by officially withdrawing her support for the motion.

"To this end, I am writing to categorically withdraw my signature and disassociate myself from the said list, as it was in bad faith and I was misled into signing," she explained.

The Bukomansimbi Woman MP admitted that she attended the Opposition meeting that took place on Tuesday morning but didn't read through what she was signing.

"As you know, I arrived late at the meeting and the issue of censure was not mentioned, but various other issues were discussed. The list I signed, I thought it was for an attendance list," she said.

"But when I left the meeting, I realized that it was the censure list, and yet those who were signing were present on the table. If I were to sign, there is still more time to do so."

On Tuesday, Herbert Kinobere, the Member of Parliament for Kibuku County and Vice Spokesperson of the NRM Caucus, ordered all NRM MPs not to sign the censure motion against the commissioners until they receive guidance from their party chairman, President Museveni.

During a press conference at Parliament, Kinobere said NRM MPs who have already signed the motion may be asked to withdraw their signatures once they receive guidance from President Museveni.

"I previously advised members to wait for the guidance of my boss, who is the Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua," he said.

"He also instructed that no member of the NRM caucus should sign the censure forms until we obtain guidance from the national Chairman, President Museveni."

However, it has been reported that some MPs have already signed the motion. Kinobere mentioned that during their caucus meeting, they would request those MPs to withdraw their signatures since the NRM Party always comes up with a unified position and stands by it.

Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo, who is leading the move to censure the four backbench commissioners of Parliament, recently revealed that over 120 lawmakers have already signed the censure motion papers.

The commissioners are accused of abuse of office and misconduct for allegedly distributing Shs1.7 billion among themselves as a service award.

Ssekikubo expressed hope that the required 177 signatures to table and debate the censure motion in Parliament would be collected.

Ssekikubo also urged Among not to interfere with the process, stating that the motion has nothing to do with her.

The proponents of the motion clarified that the audit trail is focused on the four commissioners of Parliament, not the Speaker, as alleged by the affected commissioners.

They called on MPs not to be intimidated by attempts to discourage them from signing the censure motion but to remain steadfast and address the issue of corruption that is undermining the integrity of the 11th Parliament.