Ruth Nankabirwa drops MP Annet Nyakecho from ICT committee leadership

 The government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa has dropped Tororo North Member of Parliament Annet Nyakecho from her role as chairperson Parliament’s Information, Communication and Technology Committee (ICT).

Nyakecho has been the chairperson for the last three years. She will be replaced by Dokolo North MP Paul Amoru.

Nankabirwa made the changes on Wednesday while designating MPs from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to Parliament Sectorial committees.

The composition of the 16 sectorial committees is determined at the start of every new session of Parliament and in this case, this is the 5th session of Parliament of the Tenth Parliament which started this month. Each sectorial committee is comprised of 30 Members.

Amoru who has previously been serving as Nyakecho’s deputy will be deputized by Luwero Woman MP Lillian Nakate.

Nyakecho’s removal from the committee leadership follows her arrest in March this year together with former Security Minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde at his residence in Kololo. Nyakecho and others were allegedly invited for a meeting by Tumukunde.

They were arrested by joint security forces led by CID Director Grace Akullo and security agencies have since charged Tumukunde with treason. The arrest came just a week after Gen. Tumukunde notified the Electoral Commission that he would be conducting consultative meetings for his 2021 presidential bid.

After she was released, Nyakecho made an emotional appeal to Parliament to speak out against the arrest and detention of Tumukunde who was at the time still held at Luzira Prison.

She specifically asked Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to intervene and ensure that Tumukunde is released from detention. This was during a debate on the alleged torture of Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake by security personnel.

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URN