City lawyer and perennial litigant Hassan Male Mabirizi has beefed up his efforts to challenge the appointment of 16 ministers in President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s cabinet over alleged lack of requisite academic qualifications.
The 16 whose academic qualifications Mabirizi is challenging are: Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, First Lady and Education Minister Janet Museveni, Kahinda Otafiire (Internal Affairs), Jeje Odongo (Foreign Affairs), Milly Babalanda (Presidency) and Minsa Kabanda (Kampala Affairs).
Others are: Tom Butime, Peter Ogwang, Bright Rwamirama, Haruna Kasolo, Musa Ecweru, Aisha Sekindi, Anifa Kawooya, Joyce Ssebugwawo and Charles Engola.
On July 23, Mabirizi wrote to the acting clerk demanding copies of academic papers of PM Nabbanja and 15 other cabinet and state ministers submitted to the Appointments Committee for their vetting.
The lawyer reminded the clerk to Parliament that his request was well hinged on article 41 of the Constitution that grants citizens access to information in possession of the state and its agents.
“Accordingly, the documents they presented have many question marks which may lead to criminal proceedings against them, but not limited to giving false information and uttering false documents contrary to Section 115(a) and 351 of the Penal Code Act.”
The perennial litigant is also challenging other appointments made by Museveni recently.
Being challenged is the appointment of Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe and her deputy Deborah Katuramu, Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige and UN ambassador and special envoy Adonia Ayebare.
Other appointments under contestation are those of permanent secretaries and special presidential advisors such as Museveni’s son-in-law Odrek Rwabwogo, former ministers Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut and Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi.
Mabirizi is also challenging the retirement, in public interest, of permanent secretaries such as Clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige.
The grounds of the lawyer’s legal challenge are that Museveni hired some of these people to entities that are non-existent in law, that Museveni made the appointments without consulting the Public Service Commission, and that he flouted several recruitment laws and policies.
Mabirizi is also challenging directives issued by Museveni regarding procurement and security.
The directives include President Museveni’s orders to Health and Education ministers Dr Jane Ruth Aceng and Janet Museveni, respectively, to award all construction projects to the Army Construction Brigade, an engineering unit under the UPDF.
In his argument, Mabirizi says Museveni has no powers to order who should or shouldn’t be awarded contracts.
Mabirizi is also challenging a directive by the president that requires all vehicles to have digital tracking devices installed as a way to ease prevention and investigation of crimes.
The execution of the order, reignited following the attempted murder, on June 01, of former police and UPDF chief Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, is already under way, with the contract for the supplying of digital monitors awarded to a Russian firm last week.
The litigant argues that installing digital monitors would be an invasion of privacy.
The city lawyer also seeks to overturn a decision by the Parliamentary Commission to wire Shs200m to the accounts of each of the 529 MPs and ex-offio MPs to enable them buy cars to facilitate their duties.
The money was disbursed last week amidst public condemnations.
Mabirizi argues that there is no law that requires Parliamentary Commission to give money to MPs to buy cars.
Besides envoy, PS and presidential advisor appointments, Mabirizi also wants court to nullify the Judiciary Chief Registrar Registrar’s orders requiring appraisal reports for judicial officers.
He is also challenging a decision by the judicial arm of government to keep the position of Secretary to Judiciary in its ranks yet the Constitutional Court nullified it.
He also wants court to declare the creation of positions of Heads of Departments/Units illegal, alien to the judiciary and as having great potential to compromise judicial officers.
The ruling on the application challenging Museveni’s directives, appointment of permanent secretaries and advisors, MPs vehicles money and car digital monitors will happen on September 30, 2021.
Additional reporting: Courtesy
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