Former LOPS Wafula Oguttu and Ogenga Latigo speak out on Mpuuga

Mpuuga, MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe is currently in the eye of the storm after it merged that he received Shs 500 million as gratuity as he left his role as LOP late last year.

His party, the National Unity Platform has since asked him to step down from the Parliamentary Commission, which he turned down.

Weighing in on the matter yesterday, former LOPs Wafula Oguttu and Morris Ogenga Latigo condemned Mpuuga for accepting this money, which they said they themselves never received at the end of their tenures.

The former LOPs said there is neither a law that provides for this payment, nor a precedent.

“The terms of service of the LOP are in the law; you cannot go outside of the law,” said Latigo in an interview with NTV.

Latigo who served as LOP from 2006 to 2010, said he never received any gratuity on his way out.

Even a parliamentary laptop that he was using for his official and personal work, he said, was taken away from him.

“I still feel hurt about it because that was the computer I was using to write my letters and do my other work. And without evening acknowledging that somebody was occupying this office and at least allowing them to take their laptop, that was terrible.”

Oguttu on the other hand, described the acts of Mpuuga and fellow commissioners as “criminal.”

“If someone had deviated that money, maybe the parliament or public service, that would have made sense; but for a commissioner of parliament to allocate this money to themselves and give it to nobody else, that was criminal,” he said.

Mpuuga however has remained adamant and vowed to remain as a commissioner.

He said in a statement yesterday, “Every decision of the Commission to confer or reward anyone under its charge, is subjected to the relevant committees of Parliament for legality, feasibility, sustainability and relevancy.”

“To call any such payments corruption is the highest level of spite, double standards and deliberate misrepresentation to the public and membership of the Party on a purely selfish mission.”

Mpuuga is expected to give a border response to the matter today, Saturday.