Minister Kasaija faces arrest

Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister cum Buyanja County MP in Kibaale District, Matia Kasaija.

Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister, Matia Kasaija, will be arrested and forced to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises (Cosase), reveals the committee chairperson, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi.

This follows Mr Kasaija’s failure to appear before the committee to explain the public debate that China is about to take over Uganda’s only Entebbe International Airport due to the loans government acquired from Export – Import Bank of China (EXIM) Bank.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Annet Among, ordered Cosase to take on the issue and find where the government went wrong in the agreement where Uganda is likely to lose the airport to China.

She also denied the House members from debating the issue until the committee has come up with a comprehensive report.

In response, Cosase issued a letter on November 30, 2021 summoning Mr Kasaija, who is also the Buyanja County Member of Parliament in Kibaale District, to appear before the committee on Thursday and answer queries on the Uganda-China deal.

However, Mr Kasaija neither showed up nor sent a notice informing the members about his absence, triggering anger among Cosase members, thus, coercing Mr Ssenyonyi who is also the Nakawa West MP to vow to use extra powers to drag the minister before the committee by force.

Cosase chairman, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi vows to send police to arrest Minister Kasaija if he continues failing to show up before the committee.

Mr Ssenyonyi told the press on Thursday that the minister would have at least issued a communication notice to the committee about his absence prior to the day but instead, he ignored their summons.

“So, he has chosen not to show up today. Perhaps, he does not have the answers which we require. As a committee, we have powers of the High Court. But when you decide to snub the committee, then, we engage another gear because we have the power to do that. We are going to summon him using the powers that we have,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.

He added that the committee is to issue the summons again and if Mr Kasaija dares not to respond to them, then, they shall send police to pick him because he is not above the law.

Mr Ssenyonyi also asserted that the committee must get the minister’s answers because Ugandans need to know who owns their airport.

“The minister of Finance is the one that signed this agreement on behalf of Ugandans. Ultimately, the person who signed the agreement is the person who holds the national purse and has got to explain these issues. We don’t need his deputies. We need him because he is the one who inked these agreements,” Mr Ssenyonyi continued.

In November 2015, the Uganda government signed an agreement with EXIM Bank to borrow Shs736.8b at 2% upon disbursement.

The loan had a maturity period of 20 years including a seven-year grace period.

However, it recently emerged that the deal signed with the Chinese lenders virtually means Uganda “surrendered” Entebbe International Airport sparking public debate.

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