Parliament Appoints Mwine Mpaka To Chair The NSSF Inquiry Committee

By Gad Masereka

Hon. Mwine Mpaka, a member of parliament for Mbarara South Division, has been chosen to lead the select committee looking into the management and operations of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Charles Bakkabulindi, the Workers’ Representative, Karim Masaba (Independent, Industrial Division, Mbale City), Michael Kakembo (NUP, Entebbe Municipality), Fortunate Nantongo (DP, Kyotera District), Laura Kanushu (NRM, PWDs), and Amos Kankunda are the other members of the committee (NRM, Rwampara County).

On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at a plenary session presided by by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, the committee was established.

The committee will investigate the NSSF’s corporate governance structures, the circumstances surrounding the managing director’s appointment, the status and security of savers’ money in the fund, and the scope of stakeholder engagement, per the terms of reference.

They are required to submit a report within a month, Tayebwa said

However, the Chief Opposition Whip, John Baptist Nambeshe, expressed worry over the inclusion of Bakkabulindi, claiming that his involvement on the committee would pose questions of conflict of interest as a Workers’ Representative.

“He should not be allowed to participate in the investigations,” said Nambeshe. “Because of that pre-existing relationship with the fund, he would easily influence the conclusion of the probe.”

The methods for handling conflicts of interest in these situations were detailed by Marksons Oboth, the Minister of State for Defense.

Having a conflict of interest is not illegal. If we absolutely adhere to that, nobody would serve on any committees. He would have to disclose his stake due to the conflict of interest. However, a counterargument may be made that the workers’ representative has more interest in the NSSF.

Tayebwa gave the directive that the same will be the subject of consultations.

Following claims of corruption and poor management of the Sh17.9 trillion fund, the House decided on Thursday, January 19, 2023, to establish a committee to look into the NSSF’s activities.

The issue centered on the selection of Richard Byarugaba, the managing director at the time, who had already served two terms and was 60 years old.