By Karim Were
Parliament has dismissed claims that former Members of Parliament who lost their seats in the January elections were subsequently recruited into its administration, with Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige clarifying that none of the applicants secured employment.
Speaking amid growing public scrutiny, Mr Mwesige said several former legislators formally expressed interest in joining the Parliamentary Service and submitted written applications. However, he stressed that none of those applications was approved.
“It is not true that former MPs were given employment here. Some expressed interest in writing, but their applications were not considered,” Mr Mwesige said, adding that the institution’s payroll records can verify the claim.
According to the Clerk, only one former MP currently works within the Parliamentary Service. He explained that the individual had previously served as a Parliament employee before entering elective politics and was later appointed on the advice of President Museveni.
The clarification follows reports circulating on social media platform X alleging that Parliament had quietly absorbed several defeated legislators, particularly individuals linked to former Speaker Anita Among, into various departments.
The reports claimed that some of the alleged recruits had been assigned roles in the Executive Secretary’s Office, Research Directorate, Protocol Office, Hansard Department, Clerk’s Office and consultancy units.
Mr Mwesige rejected the allegations, saying the people named in the reports were not employees of Parliament and had never been part of its staff establishment.
“What I can confirm is that some former MPs—not necessarily those being named—expressed interest in joining us,” he said.
Speaker Jacob Oboth-Oboth declined to comment on the matter, citing parliamentary rules that restrict discussion of issues still under consideration. He instead referred inquiries to the Clerk, saying he was still settling into his new role.
The controversy emerges at a time when Parliament remains under intense public attention due to ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption, abuse of office and unexplained wealth involving former Speaker Anita Among.
Last month, the Inspector General of Government submitted a report on the investigations to President Museveni following searches conducted by investigators at properties linked to Ms Among and her office at Parliament.
Meanwhile, one of the individuals named in the social media allegations denied seeking employment at Parliament, describing the claims as baseless and unverified.
