Hon. Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development directed to resign over abuse of office.

 

Lawmakers have voted in favor of a recommendation by the House's select committee, calling for the immediate resignation of Hon. Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, for abuse of office. The select committee, led by Mbarara South Division Member of Parliament Hon. Mwine Mpaka, investigated the alleged mismanagement of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and found irregularities in the minister's direction of Shs6 billion to her ministry. The report was presented during a plenary sitting on March 1st, 2023, and adopted on March 9th, 2023, during a plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Anita Among.

 

According to the report, the minister's actions violated the NSSF Act, and MPs raised concerns about her accountability for the misdirected funds. Hon. Theodore Ssekikubo emphasized the importance of Parliament's role in verifying the legality of the minister's request for the money, while Hon. Cecilia Ogwal urged MPs to base their decision on the Public Finance Management Act's provisions for budget initiation and implementation.

 

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga argued that the minister did not have the power to appropriate funds for government work, and instead, the NSSF funds were meant for private individuals. The report also recommended dissolving the NSSF Board and calling for 24 board members who received illegal contributions from the fund to refund the money or face prosecution.

 

Despite the allegations against her, Amongi defended herself, citing her ministerial powers under Section 29 of the NSSF Act to amend the budget and stating that her actions were within the law. The House's select committee maintained that their recommendations were backed by evidence and necessary for restoring accountability and transparency to the NSSF.