By Misairi Thembo Kahungu
The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) have failed to interact with the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya, who reportedly got sick moments before appearing before the legislators.
COSASE, chaired by Joel Ssenyonyi (Nakawa West, National Unity Platform), invited Kamya in her capacity as former Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development to answer about her role in the operations of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC).
Kamya, who was at Parliament to participate in the breakfast fellowship that ended at about 8:30am on May 19, could not make it to the COSASE meeting that started at 10:00am.
Ssenyonyi informed legislators that she had heart-related complications.
“Her personal assistant has called me, saying she got a call from the daughter that IGG got a heart attack and has been rushed to hospital. So we are waiting to get feedback and see if she can return,” he said.
At the end of the meeting in which the committee quizzed former ULC staff, Ssenyonyi said he had not received feedback about the health status of the IGG, but insisted that she must be invited again to answer the issues where her role as a former minister is questioned.
The legislators want to quiz the IGG about her role in requesting and spending sh10.62b supplementary budget for compensation of six claimants without the approval of ULC board.
The genuineness of the supplementary budget beneficiaries has been questioned after ULC chairperson Beatrice Byenkya told legislators recently that only one had a legitimate claim.
Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi questioned the circumstances under which the IGG reportedly got sick, having been at Parliament, saying she will not be allowed to dodge the committee.
“Kamya has been mentioned a lot in matters of land and she has a lot of information that we need, but telling us that she got a heart attack from here, this is not serious. We want the IGG to come peacefully without issuing summons to her. We have a ULC Chairperson who is indisposed but she has been coming,” he said.
