Efforts by City lawyer, Male Mabirizi to access the academic documents of 16 cabinet ministers from parliament have hit a snag. They are Minister for Education Janet Kataaha Museveni, Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, Minister for Internal Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abubakar Jeje Odongo and Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Tom Butime.
Others are Minsa Kabanda (Kampala Minister), Peter Ogwang (State Minister in charge of Economic Monitoring), Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo (State Minister for ICT), Charles Engola Okello (State Minister for Gender), Bright Rwamirama (State Minister for Agriculture in charge of Animal Industry) and Haruna Kasolo the state Minster in charge of Microfinance.
Also on the list is Francis Musa Ecweru (State Minister for Works), Persis Namuganza (State minister for Lands in charge of Housing), Anifa Kawooya Bangirana (State for Health In charge of General duties), Milly Babirye Babalanda (President) and Aisha Sekindi (State Minister for Water and Environment).
On July 23rd, 2021, Mabirizi wrote to the Clerk to Parliament asking for the academic documents of 16 ministers, saying that he had received information that they don’t have the minimum formal education of Advanced Level standard or its equivalent as is required by the Constitution for them to qualify for the positions. Appointed officials are required to submit their academic documents to the appointments committee for vetting before they are confirmed by Parliament.
“Accordingly, the documents they presented have many question marks which may lead to criminal proceedings against them including but not limited to giving false information and uttering false documents contrary to section 115(a) and 351 of the penal code,” wrote Mabirizi.
Mabirizi made the request in the exercise of his rights provided for under article 41 of the Constitution of Uganda which states that every citizen has a right of access to information in the possession of the state or any other organ or agency of the state except where the release of the information is likely to prejudice the security or the sovereignty of the State or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person. Now, the Deputy Clerk to Parliament, Henry Waiswa Yoweri, says that parliament doesn’t have the academic documents of the 16 ministers. He explains in his August 5th, 2021 letter that they had taken steps to find the requested documents but unfortunately Parliament doesn’t have them.
“I am thus unable to provide the requested academic documents. In the event that you are not satisfied, you may appeal to the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament or file an application in court” read part of the letter addressed to City lawyer Male Mabirizi. Section 115 (a) of the penal code states that whoever gives to any person employed in the public service any information which he or she knows or believes to be false, intending thereby to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he or she will thereby cause, any person employed in the public service to do or omit anything which the person employed in the public service ought not to do or omit if the true state of facts respecting which such information is given were known to him or her.
While section 351 provides that any person who knowingly and fraudulently utters a false document commits an offence of the same kind and is liable to the same punishment as if he or she had forged the document in question.
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