MP Ssemujju dissatisfied with the exclusion of Gen. Saleh in NSSF probe

Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has insisted that the committee report has glaring omissions, which add to the suspicion that the probe’s MPs soft-shoe shuffled on some ranking officials.

Ssemujju Nganda singled out the exclusion of Gen. Caleb ‘Salim Saleh’ Akandwanaho from being adversely mentioned in the hard hitting select committee report. The report was tabled before parliament on March 1, 2023, by the committee chairperson, Mwine Mpaka.

The Mpaka led committee made several recommendations, including the immediate resignation of Betty Amongi as minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development; the halting of further investments in the Lubowa Housing Estate until a true landowner is ascertained; and an investigation into nepotism in fund staff recruitment and deployment by the Inspectorate of Government.

“The latest confusion in the NSSF revolves around Saleh. I am not saying that Amongi is innocent, but as you can see, the power behind her is Saleh. Where could Amongi have gotten the powers to oppose directives from the president and the prime minister on the reappointment of Richard Byarugaba (former managing director of NSSF), but she opposed these orders? This is one of the problems that this parliament must deal with. The parliament, especially the NRM MPs, must have the nerve to deal with Museveni’s relatives and their involvement in government entities like NSSF. It seems one of the speakers of parliament’s instructions is to protect the president and his family from any form of reprisal when they do wrong,” he said in a Monday exclusive interview with The Observer.

In a December 7, 2022, letter to the chairperson of the board of directors of NSSF (Dr. Peter Kimbowa) explaining the deferral of Byarugaba’s appointment, Amongi made reference to a meeting held in Kapeka (Salim Saleh’s residence) the previous day.

She said, “After our meeting at Kapeka yesterday, you note that there were serious issues that have been raised on top of all the other issues I discussed with you severally. In view of the above, the concerns that were raised after the approval of the appointment of the MD (Byarugaba) during the Kapeka meeting, and other new issues ought to be re-examined by the board and clarity provided before I appoint him as recommended. Further, among the new emerging issues, I would like to know whether, in the process of making your recommendation, you considered them, or had prior knowledge or information about them, and took them into account when making your recommendation.”