Nobody Can Attach My Salary - Otafiire
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The Monitor (Kampala)
April 21, 2004
Posted to the web April 21, 2004
Mwanguhya Charles Mpagi & Lominda Afedraru
Kampala
Minister Kahinda Otafiire has said his salary cannot be attached because it is
privileged. "Can anybody attach my salary? Parliamentary salaries are privileged," he
said when contacted yesterday.
Col. Otafiire's charged response comes a day after the Uganda Human Rights Commission
ordered that his salary should be attached and part of it used to pay for the upkeep
of two of his children.
Commissioner Mariam Wangadya ordered that Shs 2.2 million be attached from Otafiire's
salary with immediate effect.
Otafiire, who is the Water, Lands and Environment minister and MP for Ruhinda, has
been before the commission tribunal following a dispute with the mother of the
children, Ms Allen Atukunda.
Atukunda, a primary school teacher in Mbarara, dragged Otafiire to the tribunal last
year, claiming that the minister had refused to take care of their two children aged 6
and 2.
Otafiire dismissed the commission ruling as silly. In her ruling, Wangadya said that
the tribunal would write to the clerk of Parliament asking him to attach the salary,
which would then be sent to the commission for onward transmission to the
beneficiaries.
Otafiire, however, had no kind words for Wangadya. "This world has got quite a number
of silly people and I cannot prevent them from making a fool of themselves. That's my
comment," he said.
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Parliament's Senior Public Relations Officer Kagole Kivumbi said Otafiire's salary is
protected under the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act.
Section 5 of the Act shields MPs from any court or tribunal order being executed
within the precincts of Parliament.
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