M7 To Meet Appointments Committee Today Over Aronda Vetting

The parliamentary appointments committee chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga will meet President Yoweri Museveni today at State House Entebbe over General Aronda Nyakairima’s appointment as Internal Affairs minister.

Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Kadaga
Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Kadaga

The meeting is in line with the pending approval by the committee of the President’s nominees of General Aronda Nyakairima as a Minister of Internal Affairs and Elioda Tumwesigye as Junior Minister for Health.

General Nyakairima was previously the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) but was dropped and replaced with General Edward Katumba Wamala previously the Commander of land Forces by President Museveni.

General Aronda’s and Tumwesigye appeared before the appointments committee a week ago in its fulfillment of Rule 155 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament for vetting. The committee resolved to defer the vetting process of the two pending further consultations with President Museveni as it was revealed to a press release by the clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige.

Today’s meeting follows the unconcluded meeting that the committee had with the president on Friday last week. The Public Relations Officer of Parliament Hellen Kawesa said no conclusions were reached at that meeting due to the president’s busy schedule.

On Friday, all Appointments committee members have received communication from the clerk about tomorrow’s committee meeting with the President.

Sources privy to the first meeting revealed that the president assured the committee that he nominated Nyakairima and Tumwesigye based on their technical experience.

The source also noted that the President told members that he based Nyakairima’s appointment on his knowledge of the National Identity Card Project since he was involved with the project as army head.

MP Mathias Mpuuga for Masaka Municipality and a member of the appointments committee confirmed today’s meeting with the president.

But Mpuuga said he would not attend the meeting because he cannot discuss matters with the President that are clearly constitutional and require common sense and since the president decides to follow his own wishes while appointing members. The committee members are uncomfortable with Nyakairima serving as minister while a serving army officer.

When asked what the committee is going to discuss in particular with the President in regards to Nyakairima and Tumwesigye, Mpuuga said that they have not been provided with the agenda of the meeting but believes the meeting will revolve around the appointments made by the president.

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