National Unity Platform (NUP’s) lawmaker, Twaha Kagabo ate the humble pie recently. The Bukoto South legislator dropped the statements about the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among having bribed him with UGX40m. The same was absolutely the right course of action to take. Kagabo stood no chance at all of surviving the painful action of paying a heavy price over this debacle.
Yet, such high price had been preset for him and in absolute secrecy, in fact, by his adversaries. Just as Judas Iscariot plus the High Priests had also sat in secrecy and plotted so in the case of Jesus. The same high price which had been already preset, was merely now awaiting the execution. By presiding over the trial of Kagabo, Parliament was engaging in the absolutely classic denial of acting as the accuser, prosecutor, the assessor, the judge and, finally, the executor of the judgement itself in their own cause.
By advising Kagabo to return the bribe to the supposed giver, Bobi Wine was kind of telling the legislator to stand right within the striking range of the famous rocket-man, Kim Jong-un. In the ideal setting, what Bobi had done would pass as legit. Yet, the same was politically stupid. Given that by sending Kagabo back to Parliament to return the bribe, Bobi was unwittingly serving his thin-pencil friend to both angry and hungry sharks. Such was commendable show of leadership, patriotism, nationalism and good morals. Just that Bobi was executing such good attributes both recklessly and dangerously.
For one, how was the suspected giver of the bribe now supposed to take it back. Seeing that the high priests who had given the thirty pieces of silver to Judas to trap Jesus into crucification, also refused to take back the same! To do so, would have amounted to nothing else, but to playing into the trap of exposing themselves! For two, Kagabo’s kuku had been absolutely cooked seeing that the Inspector of Government, Betty Olive Namisango Kamya Turomwe had herself now scandalously joined the crazy mob out to subject the lawmaker to their kangaroo court.
This stance, by now grilling the whistleblower as opposed to the suspect. But such untold double standards. Given that the same so-called graft fighter would later on not mind at all to summon the boss of Uganda Airlines, Jennifer Bamuturaki even after confessing to falsely receiving a total of UGX48m under the cover of travelling to Europe. Read this. Kagabo had divulged to us how each one of his colleagues had had his beak whetted by a bribe in the sums of UGX40m. Supposing the same had been the case, how were those lawmakers who were ideally suspects, going now to remain impartial.
Recalling that it was them who had now been lined up to testify against the whistleblower and to determine his fate! In any case, I shuddered upon sighting one of such suspects who has just married the speaker, before I can forget, demanding of the whistleblower to table evidence of the receipt of his share of the bribe from his spouse. But I would want to think that bribes are given away from the public and light. Oh dear Lord, what kind of games are our honorable lawmakers engaging in? What do they take us for, anyway? For zombies who have refused to leave the earth surface whilst continuing to feather their nests! Hey, what is honestly going on over the floor of the otherwise august House!
If there is a big lesson that we have ever learned from the ongoing debacle of Kagabo’s colleagues in Allan Ssewanyana and Mohammed Ssegirinya, is that an MP can be hauled to prison, continue to be paid to prison, continue to receive his salary and while staying there without the Parliament itself, let alone courts of the law doing anything to stem the same.
On that note, much as Kagabo must have been genuine with his claims, he was right to retreat lest he was headed for ugly days.
Consequently, it would be wrong of Bobi Wine to harangue the poor man with threats of disciplining him as a party. Look at the instructive as well as well-known case of Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana. Right. The two legislators continue to face the music almost alone. Despite the fact that the two swear allegiance to NUP. And, yet, whatever they are being accused of has its roots in the defiance and brand of politics of NUP. Excuse this one as the final food for thought. Although it is in order to be brave, it’s also foolish to dare a tiger into a fight, merely because you want to prove to the unreasonable doubters that you are actually brave.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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