Nabbanja is fighting me; Minister Hillary Onek cries foul

Nabbanja is fighting me; Minister Hillary Onek cries foul. The Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Hon Eng Hilary Onek has written to the Prime Minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja imploring her to stop interfering in his ministerial duties which has rendered his position irrelevant. 

According to the letter dated October 29th 2021, Minister Onek discloses his displeasure over Hon Nabbanja’s actions in the Ministry where he said  she has totally usurped his duties.

The President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Speaker of Parliament and his Deputy, the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees and Principal Private Secretary to the President all have been copied in the letter. 

“From the time of your appointment, I have been observing with total displeasure the fact that my role and that of my deputy as Ministers in charge of refugees and disaster and lead policy makers in matters of refugee and disaster management have been TOTTALY ursuped by your office” Onek writes.

He also highlights a scenario where the Prime Minister called meetings and even went to disaster affected places and visiting refugees without informing him or his deputy, yet she prefers to involve the staff whom line Ministers supervise.

“On October 29th 2021, you called a meeting with the local leadership of Bududa without involving my office or even the area Members of Parliament which may lead to decisions being made that contradict earlier and cabinet position.”

Minister Onek who said that he has worked with the previous three Prime Ministers accuses Hon Nabbanja of purging the department of disaster management and taking over the distribution of relief items and causing interdiction of staff without proper investigation. 

“The interdicted staff were accused of causing financial loss without conducting a forensic audit by involving the auditor general”  Onek emphasizes.

Minister Onek also informs the Prime Minister to put it in writing to the appointing authority (the President) so that he can be relieved of his responsibilities so that Nabanjja can ably work alone because he does not want to be held accountable for decisions where he has no input.