Budget Committee Chairperson Patrick Isiagi Summoned By CID

Police have issued summons for the Chairperson of Parliament’s Budget Committee, Patrick Isiagi Opolot. MP Isiagi also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Kachumbala County in Bukedea District.

Honourable Isiagi is expected to report to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

He is the sixth MP to be summoned by the CID in a period of three weeks.

During the State of the Nation Address in mid-June, President Yoweri Museveni sent out a warning to government officials involved in the misuse of government funds.

In the same address, the President suggested amnesty to all officials implicated but was heckled by calls for iron-fist action. He also confirmed that he had evidence linking legislators and a number of Parliamentary staff to corruption racketeering at the August House.

According to the President, the MPs were racketeering alongside officials from the Finance Ministry.

Isiagi, who sits at the helm of the budgeting process, is expected to answer questions on the alleged tampering with the budget. The tampering is said to include the reallocation of shs 750 billion of the Financial Year 2024/2025 budget.

Budget Committee Woes

Isiagi’s summons come at a time when two MPs on the Budget Committee are on remand at Luzira Prison over corruption charges.These are Yusuf Mutembuli of Bunyole East and Paul Akamba of Busiki County.

The duo was charged alongside Lwengo District Woman MP Cissy Namujju at the Anti-corruption Court on June 10th.

According to the charge sheet, the MPs allegedly solicited from Ms. Mariam Wangadya, the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, a cut from the entity’s budget on May 13, 2024.

Under this understanding, the MPs would pocket 20% of an enhanced Human Rights Commission budget.

Other MPs facing corruption charges are Michael Mawanda of Igara East and Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu of Elgon County. Prosecution alleges that the duo caused the government a loss of up to shs 160 billion in compensation of cooperative societies said to have been affected by war.