Oboth Oboth vows to fight corruption in Parliament

By Ismael Kasooha 

KAVULE

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth, has reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption in the House.

“The first thing I have done is to send the Shs 24 billion that was allocated to the Speaker to the committees so that they have money to perform their oversight function. What I need is a costed work plan, period,” the Speaker said.

He was speaking at a recent dinner for Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja after she was sworn in as Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business in Parliament. The event took place at the Prime Minister’s residence in Kavule, Kampala.

Oboth Oboth, who recently replaced Rt. Hon. Anita Among promised to empower the committees with the necessary resources so that they can do their work. He added that the Speaker of Parliament does not need a budget for Corporate Social Responsibility.

“That should be left to other organisations. Parliament must be accountable first if it is to hold government officials accountable. There is no way we can hold others accountable when we are not accountable,” Oboth Oboth said.

“Parliament is the only place where accountability makes sense, so I ask Members of Parliament to cooperate with me. I want to ensure that the Parliamentary Commission does its work.”

The Speaker expressed concern over the delayed completion of the Parliamentary Chambers. “The construction started in 2014. We cannot still be building the same chambers,” Oboth Oboth said.

The Prime Minister thanked President Yoweri Museveni for the trust and confidence he placed in her by reappointing her.

The event was attended by MPs, the Deputy Head of Public Service, Ms. Jane Kyarisiima Mwesiga; the Permanent Secretary in charge of coordination in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Julius Victor Nkeramihigo; the Chairperson of the National Planning Authority, Dr. Pamela Mbabazi; and several other guests.

END