Museveni Chairs NRM CEC Meeting To Decide On The Fate Of Corrupt MPs, Speaker Anita Among And The Upcoming 2026 Election

President Museveni convened a meeting with the National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) at State House, Entebbe, on Tuesday.As the party’s chairman, Museveni chaired the meeting.

According to a statement from State House, the leadership discussed party-related issues, although specific details were not disclosed.

“During the meeting, the leadership discussed issues concerning the party,” said State House in a media statement without divulging details.

The meeting, attended by Speaker Anita Among, reportedly focused on selecting chairpersons and deputy chairpersons for sectoral committees of Parliament. Plans to designate committee leaders were adjourned by Parliament today, originally scheduled for last Friday, following the NRM CEC’s decision to subject MPs applying for these roles to security vetting first.

Last week, the NRM CEC held a subsequent meeting to approve names, yet consensus was elusive, necessitating another session scheduled for this Tuesday. It remains uncertain whether new appointments have been finalized by the CEC.

Fifty legislators have submitted applications to lead various committees, whose areas span Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Defence and Internal Affairs, East African Community Affairs, Education and Sports, Environment and Natural Resources, Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Foreign Affairs, Gender, Labour and Social Development, Health, Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Presidential Affairs, Public Service and Local Government, Tourism, Trade and Industry, and Physical Infrastructure.

Recent arrests of lawmakers on corruption charges have prompted heightened scrutiny of parliamentary affairs by the NRM’s top leadership, marking a departure from their previous approach of delegating committee leadership decisions solely to Parliament.L

ast week, the Anti-Corruption court charged and remanded to Luzira the Legal Committee vice chairperson, Yusuf Mutembuli, along with Lwengo Woman MP, Cissy Namujju, and Busiki County MP, Paul Akamba, for allegedly soliciting a bribe from Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) boss Mariam Wangadya.

The Member of Parliament for Bunyole East, Yusuf Mutembuli and Lwengo Woman representative, Cissy Namujju were on Monday denied bail by the Anti-Corruption Court.

The ruling made by the Presiding Chief Magistrate, Joan Aciro now means the two legislators, who were charged together with Busiki County counterpart Paul Akamba, have to pursue bail from the High Court.

Meanwhile, the court has issued a summons for Akamba on Friday.Akamba was on Friday dramatically and violently arrested outside court after being granted a Shs 13 million cash bail and Shs100m non-cash.

The legislator was picked by armed security men in covert dressings and driven away to an unknown destination in a Toyota Noah registration number UBP 791G.The 3 legislators were on Wednesday charged with soliciting money from the Chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission, Mariam Wangadya on the 13th day of May 2024 at Hotel Africana in Kampala City.

The State said they demanded 20% of the anticipated enhanced Budget of the UHRC for the Financial Year 2024 2026, by asserting that they were able to exert improper influence over the decision-making of the Budget Committee of the Parliament of Uganda to increase the UHRC Budget, in consideration of the said undue advantage.

The MPs’ arrest followed the revelation made by President Museveni last Thursday, during the State of the Nation Address, that there is proof against the corrupt government officials starting from the Ministry of Finance to Parliament.