By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
PARLIAMENT:
Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to constitute a special Parliamentary committee to investigate the Minister of Science and Innovation Dr Monica Musenero on allegations of mismanaging shs 31 billion extended to her office to facilitate the invention of a local Covid-19 vaccine.
This was after Ntungamo Municipality MP Yona Musinguzi laying on the table the evidence of documents relating to the allegations about the misappropriation of funds meant for the Covid vaccine.
According to Musinguzi, Dr Musenero together with other scientists obtained money from the president meant for the innovation of COVID-19 vaccines under their company Preside.
He says that Preside Company which is under the directorship of Dr. Musenero is not registered anywhere but it is accessing huge amounts of money.
In the evidence tabled before parliament, Musinguzi informed the house that Auditor General queried the existence of Preside an initiative under the Directorship of Dr. Musenero. But, there was no feasibility study by Preside before it was allocated Money to develop the Covid Vaccine.
He has further informed the house that Hon Dr. Musenero copted her husband and her nephew as members of Preside who are being paid salaries as staff of Preside engaged in developing the vaccine.
He says that Preside is just an initiative of group of scientists disguising as an entity to develop the Covid vaccine.
It should be recalled that last week Yona Musinguzi raised matter of concern on the Ugx 50 billion that was allocated to Dr. Musenero to innovate corona virus vaccines but up to now no progress has been made. He demanded for accountability for the funds alleging that the minister has misappropriated the funds.
During Tuesday’s plenary session, Yona Musinguzi retaliated his statements this time calling minister Musenero a maswauarader who is falsely getting government funding to innovate vaccines.
He says that Dr. Musenero and his team are incapable of developing the drug noting that Uganda does not have the required biosafety labs for development of the vaccines.
“As a scientist when I see masqueraders, a veterinary doctor masquerading that she can make a vaccine with money we appropriate, she uses this house to get money!! And my chair comes here to lie to the house that we have been talking about this,” Musinguzi said.
“In the research and development of a vaccine, a vaccine can only be developed in a biosafety Lab Level 4. In the whole of Africa, we only have such a kind of lab in South Africa. Uganda only has a level 2 biosafety lab at the Uganda Virus Research Institute,” he added.
After laying the evidence of the alleged misappropriation, Hon. Yona Musinguzi asked the deputy speaker of parliament Hon. Annet Anitah Amongi to offer him security after he told the house that he was followed by some people on last Thursday after he had disclosed information about misappropriation of funds meant for dev’t of a Covid Vaccine.
“Madam speaker, last Thursday two vehicles were following threatening my life because I had exposed the corrupt vampires i this counyry. I request you to grant to me security and today, I will not leave this parliament unless you grant me at least one guard,” he said.
The deputy Speaker Among then granted Yona’s request of providing him security and directed the Minister of internal Affairs Gen. David Muhoozi to immediately provide the MP armed escorts.
Rt. Hon Anitah Amongi then referred the matter raised by Hon. Musinguzi about the misappropriation of funds to the select committee to investigate the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation on Wednesday.
She promised to give Terms of Reference to the Select Committee.
