The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga (pictured) and the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Adolf Mwesige have clashed over the involvement of UPDF personnel on Land matters in Amuru District.
Kadaga ordered that a statement by Mwesige over the matter be expunged from Parliament record.
The statement was in response to alleged dubious actions of unscrupulous surveyors under the facilitation of UPDF who were accused by area MPs of planting mark stones across 3 Villages in Amuru District.
Minister Mwesige told Parliament that preliminary investigations conducted by UPDF confirmed that surveyors were escorted by around 3 UPDF soldiers as they were planting mark stones, an action that caused tension in the district over fears of pending mass eviction.
He however told Parliament that no evictions would take place.
“I wish to take this opportunity to assure this August House and people of Amuru that the threat of evicting (them) will not be carried out and UPDF will handle the personnel who were involved in accordance with the law. The action of these individual soldiers does not only contravene the Laws of Uganda which clearly spells out the function of the UPDF, but also contravenes the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the President and Ministry of Health given the timings of this exercise,” the Minister said.
He also called upon the people of Amuru district and the entire country to always remain vigilant and report cases involving UPDF or other security personnel and assured Parliament that when such cases are reported, the Army will always be taken against such errant security personnel in accordance with law.
However when Speaker tasked the Minister to reveal the names and action that has been taken against the errant UPDF officers, Minister Mwesige declined, prompting the Speaker to demand that the Minister discloses who the officers are and actions taken.
