Theodore Ssekikubo is a tenacious one. Like the flea that bites and never lets go, the Lwemiyaga County MP has his canines firmly fixed on four parliamentary commissioners and he is determined to even go to the doorsteps of fellow MPs in the country homes to seek the eight signatures he needed to settle the censure motion.
And going to the doorstep is what the legislator has decided on.
Ssekikubo has formally requested a parliamentary vehicle and fuel to facilitate a signature collection campaign aimed at censuring four commissioners implicated in the Shs1.7 billion service award.
The request, addressed to the Clerk to Parliament, comes amidst parliamentary recess and efforts to gather support for disciplinary action against the commissioners.
In his letter dated June 24, Ssekikubo outlined the logistical challenges faced due to the parliamentary adjournment until July 23.
This adjournment, he explained, hindered the collection of signatures mandated under Rule 110 of the Parliament's Rules of Procedure.
"As you are aware, we embarked on the collection of signatures to censure the four Backbench Commissioners. The House being adjourned until late July has made this task challenging as most Members have returned to their constituencies," Ssekikubo wrote.
The MP emphasised the urgency of the request, seeking a vehicle and fuel for one week starting from July 1, beginning with the eastern region of Uganda.
The purpose of this logistical support is to enable MPs to efficiently gather signatures across various constituencies during the recess period.
"I look forward to your prompt response to enable us to plan accordingly," Ssekikubo said.
The MPs also unveiled a new strategy to bolster their efforts, planning a nationwide tour to gather signatures from fellow MPs unable to attend Parliament during the current recess.
"We are carrying 167 signatures of MPs, how do we drop them? We can't drop it," he said.
"We have written to the clerk to avail us with transport in form of the parliamentary van and security only. So Parliament shall not be burdened to say MPs have demanded for allowance, no.
"We are embarking on July 1 and we shall start with Jinja. We shall have the courtesy call to the religious leaders and cultural leaders and from there, we shall go to address the public."
Ssekikubo emphasised the motion's critical importance, stating, "The motion is so critical that we can't afford to drop it."
He added that during the recess period until the resumption of plenary on 23rd July 2024, they will use the time to prepare their motion, refine the evidence, and eliminate any possibility of abandoning the motion.
He also cautioned the Judiciary against involvement, citing reports of attempts by the Commissioners to hinder debate on the Shs1.7 billion service award through legal means.
He said they have uncovered a scheme where they are hastily taking the matter to court to place it before Justice Ssekana, intending to fabricate a false case and invoke a sub judice rule.
"We know the judge, we have told you, they are contacting him and we pray to God, this matter is already in the ambit of Parliament," Ssekikubo said.
"Please court, please court, don't entertain this because they aren't in good faith. They want to sue themselves, they are in the process of suing themselves so that the fail this."
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Richard Muhumuza, MP for Bwamba County, defended the decision to take the collection of signatures across the country.
"This is the House of Representatives of the people. The public is looking upon us to rise up when public resources are being mismanaged," he said.
"We always summon public officers to come and account and when it comes to our own within, we can't hide our heads in the sand and assume things are okay, people should come and account."
The eastern region is the home of Solomon Silwany, the Bukhooli Central MP from Bugiri District in Busoga and one of the four commissioners in Ssekikubo's crosshairs.
The others are former NUP deputy president Mathias Mpuuga, Zombo District Woman MP Esther Afoyochan and Rubanda District Woman MP Prossy Mbabazi.
