The Prime Minister Robbinah Nabbanja has accused the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees Hilary Onek of indiscipline after a letter he reportedly authored claiming she was usurping his powers.
A letter addressed to the Prime Minister has today made rounds on social media with accusations from the Minister Onek that she is executing official duties without his permission.
Speaking at Parliament on Tuesday, Nabbanja said she has only heard of a copy of the letter addressed to her circulating on various social media platforms but has not received it.She says as a leader of government business in Parliament ,it is her duty to coordinate business at various ministries .
”My office has not received the letter,I want members to appreciate that we are changing the mode of how we operate,the other day I was with the Minister for Education to see how we can have teachers in schools was I usurping her powers?I was also with Transport and works Minister Katumba to ensure that people don’t do shoddy work ,I was also in Buyende to handle fisheries , ”Nabbanja explained
She added : ‘‘I am a leader of government and mandated by article 108 to coordinate government business in all sectors and I think am doing so well when it comes to my roles and I know my boundaries. If the minister decided to address me on social media that is different ,he is indisciplined but I have not seen the letter ,maybe he is still formulating it . Our offices are close ,we have had a number of meetings and he doesnt attend.”
In the viral letter dated October 29th 2021 Onek claimed Nabbanja usurping the powers of his office by micromanaging his ministry and taking over all activities of his and his deputy..
Onek accused Nabbanja of calling meetings behind his back, interdicting his line staff without investigations and taking decisions for his ministry without his input for which he says he won’t allow to be held accountable.
Below is Onek’s full letter
From the time of your appointment, I have been observing with total displeasure the fact that my role and that of my deputy as the Ministers in charge of refugees and disaster and the lead policymakers on the matters of refugee and disaster management have been TOTALLY usurped by your office.
This is quite evident by the way you have been calling for meetings, going to disaster-affected places and visiting refugee settlements without informing either my office or that of my deputy. To my shock, my staff who I supervise are the ones being called for meetings and not the line ministers.
On 29th October 2021, you called for a meeting with the local leadership of Bududa without involving my office or even the area members of parliament which may lead to decisions being made that contradicts earlier and official cabinet position.
You have also purged the department of disaster management, taken over the distribution of relief items and causing interdiction of staff members without proper investigation. The interdicted staff were accused of causing financial loss without conducting a forensic audit by involving the auditor general. On 5th October, you wrote to my office halting the settlement of refugees in Kyangwali over land ownership dispute, this decision was arrived at without involving either me or my deputy or any technical staff from the department of refugees.
There are several reports about the land in Kyangwali like the report by the late Gen. Julius Oketta that dates as far back as 2014, the Nakalema report and other reports from ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development that should have helped guide your decision. Undercutting the ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees and directly working with local government officials will lead to further contradictions and confusion.
I have worked with the previous three Prime Ministers and all along, I know that the constitutional role is to coordinate legislative agenda and lead government business in parliament and monitor all ministries and government programs. They never got involved in micro-management of other ministries. If you decide to micromanage other ministries, what then is the role of the sector ministers who are supposed to plan, make policies and deliver on the manifesto of H.E the president.
Rt. Hon Prime minister, if you have decided to carry on working like this and rendering my docket irrelevant, kindly put it in writing to H.E the president who is the appointing authority and I will relieve myself of my responsibilities and allow you carry on with your duties. I will NOT be held accountable for decisions that have been taken without my input.
