Sadness gripped Rubaga North Member of Parliament, Moses Kasibante when the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga rejected his appointment as Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises-COSASE.
Ssemujju Nganda, the opposition chief whip told parliament on Tuesday, that the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President, Patrick Amuriat Oboi appointed Hon. Mubarak Munyagwa to replace the Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu as COSASE Chairperson. He also appointed Moses Kasibante as his deputy, replacing Anita Among the Bukedea Woman MP.
But, Kasibante was shocked and saddened when speaker Kadaga refused his appointment, explaining that the former had been designated to the appointments committee of parliament by the Independent Whip, Andrew Aja Baryayanga. Efforts by Hon. Nganda to convince the speaker to move Kasibante fell on deaf ears.
“Madam speaker, I seek the indulgence of parliament because I have designated hon. Kasibante as the vice chairperson COSASE, I request you to withdraw his name from the appointments committee so he can deputize hon. Munyagwa” Ssemujju said.
Kadaga however said no to Ssemujju, confirming that Kasibante would serve on the Appointments Committee where he had already been designated since the Parliament Rules of Procedure allow an MP to only serve on one Standing Committee.
“No, hon. Kasibante will serve on the appointments committee” Kadaga noted.
She also ruled that the old COSASE leadership would be allowed to finalize its Probe into the closure of several commercial banks. Katuntu and his committee will hand over office to Munyagwa’s on February 15th, 2019.
on the side of Government, the Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa maintained Ntenjeru North MP and Amos Lugolobi as the Budget Committee Chairperson. She however dropped Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi as deputy Budget committee chairman and replaced him with Kachumbala County MP, Patrick Opolot Isiagi.
Also dropped was Mitooma Woman MP, Jovah Kamateeka and her deputy, Sofia Nalule, the representative of PWDs in Central region as leaders and replaced with Buvuma Islands County MP, Jennipher Nantume and Bugiri Woman MP, Agnes Taaka respectively.