In May last year, the Uganda Human Right Commission headed by Mariam Wangadya appeared before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, where they presented UHRC’s policy statement and budget framework paper for the financial year 2023/2024.
Wangadya decried the consistent budget cuts the commission has been undergoing and urged the committee to this time round to rally other actors to support the Commission with an enhanced budget.
The chairperson again made a hearty appeal for enhancement of staff salaries revealing that the UHRC has been grappling with low and uncompetitive pay for its employees for the last over 10 years.
Following the meeting, deputy committee Chairperson Yusuf Mutembuli interacted with Wangadya outside parliament and they discussed the budget cuts for the commission.
According to the indictment by the Director of Public Prosecutions which includes evidence against the three MPs, during the brief interaction, Mutembuli initiated the deal
“A1(Mutembuli) offered to assist her(Wangadya) to solve the UHRC’s financial challenges. However, Al explained that this would only be possible if Ms. Wagandya remitted to him and his undisclosed colleagues 5% of the commission’s budget that had been presented to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament Committee on that day,” the indictment says.
It is here that the legislator requested from Wangadya, the contact for UHRC’s accounting officer to enable him have further discussions on the matter with her, which she provided.
Meanwhile, Mutembuli in turn gave Wangadya his business card to be passed onto the UHRC accounting officer.
On return to office, Wangadya briefed the accounting officer but also gave him Mutembuli’s phone contact.
“The accounting officer called Al on his telephone number 0772971992 and the two agreed to meet at UHRC’s offices at Naguru. Indeed, Al(Mutembuli) went to UHRC’s offices and during his meeting with the Accounting Officer, Al reiterated his demands to be given 5% of the Commission’s anticipated budget allocation.”
During the meeting at Naguru, the accounting officer told Mutembuli it wasn’t possible for UHRC to give him part of its budget but the latter insisted that without money the Commission would not get money.
Indeed; the commission’s budget was never increased during that Financial Year of 2023/2024.
Later, Wangadya reported the matter to President Museveni, detailing the demands by Mutembuli .
Museveni promised to handle.
Mutembuli returns
May this year, before Parliament passed the national budget for the Financial Year 2024/2025, approving a total expenditure of Shs72. 136 trillion, Mutembuli returning with the carrot dangling it around Wangadya’s face.
He asked Wangadya to go to Hotel African to meet him and “ other important people who were to help her with the Commission’s budget.”
Wangadya accepted to honour the meeting request but this time round, she called a security personnel who gave her a recording device to record her discussion with Mutembuli and the “important” people he had talked about.
“ Wangadya then proceeded to Hotel Africana with the recording device and on while in the parking, she switched on the recording device and called Al, who directed her to find him at Elgon restaurant. Ms. Wangadya proceeded to Elgon restaurant where she found Al with another gentleman. Al introduced the gentleman as Hon. Akamba Paul, a Member of Parliament for Busiki Constituency (A2). Al then explained to Ms. Wangadya that he was going to work with A2 to help her with the budget issues for UHRC,” the summary of evidence by the DPP reads in part.
Meanwhile, Mutembuli introduced Paul Akamba but said they were waiting for another MP “ who was very crucial” to their deal.
“Eventually, the trio was joined by a lady, who was introduced by Al and A2 as Hon. Cissy Namujju Dionizia (A3). Al revealed to Ms. Wangadya that A3 was the crucial person they had been waiting for.”
On My 13, Mutembuli called Wangadya and asked her to immediately go to Hotel Africana to meet him and other important people, who were to help her with the Commission’s budget.
She obliged and went with the audio recorder.
“wWhile in the parking, she switched on the recording device and called Al, who directed her to find him at Elgon restaurant. Ms. Wangadya proceeded to Elgon restaurant where she found Al with another gentleman. Al introduced the gentleman as Hon. Akamba Paul, a Member of Parliament for Busiki Constituency (A2). Al then explained to Ms. Wangadya that he was going to work with A2 to help her with the budget issues for UHRC.”
“ As they waited for the crucial person, Al and A2 engaged Ms. Wangadya in a discussion of the Commission’s budget and funding gaps.”
Namujju later demanded to know from Mutembuli and Akamba, how much they had asked Wangadya to pay and on hesitation, she asked Wangadya how much she was going to give them.
She also asked the UHRC chairperson about the commission’s budget and activities, which prompted the latter to call her Secretary and requested her to send the Commission’s Budget for the Financial Year 2024/2025 on her WhatsApp number, which she did.
On receiving the budget and shared it with Mutembuli via Whats App, the three MPs studied it, item by item, as they debated which amount they would push for approval.
“After going through the Commission’s budget, the accused persons asked to paid 20% of the Commission’s anticipated enhanced budget as a consideration for their role in influencing both the Budget Committee members and officials at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.”
“ They explained that the percentage they were demanding for was for purposes influencing the members of the Budget Committee so that they do not question the proposed budget enhancement and to also facilitate officials at the Ministry of Finance to release the allocated funds to the Commission.”
Namujju would later ask Wangadya whether she had carried the money in cash for them to commence the process but the latter responded in the negative and the legislator cautioned her to always move with money in cash during the budget period.
When the three legislators were a few days ago asked to report to CID for statement recording, the investigators were astonished to find out that they had changed their phones handsets.
For example, Mutembuli had ditched his old phone and had a day earlier, on June, 9 bought a new phone that he configured at 9pm.
The mobile phone for Namujju that she had used on May, 13 had been changed and it wasn’t the one she went with to CID.
Evidence
Prosecution has lined up the audio recording of the three MPs’ meeting with Wangadya and CCTV camera footage from Hotel Africana recorded during the meeting.
The CCTV camera analysis showS that on May, 13, Mutembuli arrived at Hotel Africana at round 1:33pm using motor vehicle Registration No. UAQ 444A and entered Elgon Restaurant and sat in a corner.
MP Akamba would later arrive a few minutes to 3pm and joined Mutembuli on the table while Wangadya would arrive later and joined the two.
Namujju joined the meeting later using motor vehicle registration number HON. NCD .
The call data printout for the four people showed that on May, 13, 2024 between 2pm hours and 6pm they were all within the same location at Hotel Africana.
Forensic analysis of Akamba’s phone showed that the communication data from his Whats App had been interfered with and another one installed on June, 8 after he was summoned to police.
