By Our Reporter
Parliament:The Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Kadaga has summoned the minister of Finance Matia Kasaijja, to appear before Parliament next week on Thursday, to explain when the ministry is appointing a new deputy governor for Bank of Uganda.
Kadaga said that currently it’s only Tumusiime Mutebile taking on all the responsibilities of the governor, yet he is supposed to have a deputy according to the Constitution.
“I am concerned about this crisis, therefore I hereby order the minister of Finance Matia Kasaijja to appear before Parliament to tell us when is the deputy governor going to be appointed,” Kadaga said.
This comes after Igara County East Member of Parliament Michael Maranga Mawanda raised an issue of National importance in Parliament, tasking government to appoint a deputy governor for the Bank of Uganda.
“Madam speaker, I am here to raise an issue of National importance. I am currently working on the Bank of Uganda amendment bill 2019. But madam Speaker as I speak now, we don’t have a deputy governor for the Bank of Uganda; the position is vacant. Can government explain why they are not appointing a new person?” Mawanda told Parliament.
Former bank of Uganda deputy governor Louis Kasekende’s contract expired recently and President Yoweri Museveni refused to renew his contract, or appoint his replacement.
However, it should be noted that during his tenure as duty governor, Kasekende is one of the top former officials of Bank of Uganda who contributed to fraudulent sell of seven commercial banks, among them Crane Bank which was sold to dfcu Bank in a deal that has since backfired.
The parliamentary Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) investigated this fraud and tasked government to act on officials like Kasekende, Justine Bagyenda, Benedict Ssekabira among others, although concerned authorities are yet to crack the whip on the suspected culprits.
It should however be noted that this week, State House Anti-Corruption Unit led by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema instituted investigations into allegations that two BoU directors dished out a whopping Shs20Bn to city lawyers who did shoddy legal work for the Central Bank and in some situations lost cases, rendering BoU liable to paying billions of shillings in legal costs and compensation.
he two directors are Benedict Ssekabira of Financial Markets Development Coordination (FMDC) and Margaret Kasule, director legal services, who are suspected to have paid the money to lawyers David Mpanga, Timothy Kanyerezi Masembe and others.
