East African Business Week

Kampala, Uganda - There comes a time in the life of any one, when one needs to take a position not because it is safe, popular nor political; but because it is the right thing to do, were words of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior.
In Uganda, three Cabinet Ministers have taken that path. The withdrawal from official duties of Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa, government chief whip, John Nasasira and junior labour Minister, Mwesigwa Rukutana last week to pave way for investigations into corruption allegations, has sounded warning bells to other government officials.
The trio appeared before the Anti-corruption Court on October 13, to answer charges related to procurement of goods and services prior to the Commonwealth Heads of government Meeting held in Kampala in 2007. They denied the charges.
 But Kutesa faces another inquiry alongside Prime minister Amama Mbabazi and Internal affairs minister Hilary Onek over allegations that they received bribes to influence oil contracts. Some parliamentarians want the trio censured. But for now an adhoc committee of Parliament is set to inquire into the oil dealings.
The pressure comes at a time when MPs have taken a strong stand against rampant corruption in the country.
During a heated special parliamentary session on the young oil sector last week, Uganda's Parliament voted to suspend all deals in the oil sector following claims that government ministers took multi-million dollar bribes.
The parliamentary session was called to remove suspicions concerning the oil sharing agreements between Uganda and Tullow. The government had refused to publicise the agreements citing confidentiality, a clause the MPs said was being used to hide information.
Suspicion had risen that some Ugandan ministers and senior government officials had agreed terms favouring them as individuals rather than favouring the country.
MPs asked the officials cited in the shoddy oil deals to step aside as investigations continue.
The move followed shocking revelations that were made by MP Gerald Karuhanga to Parliament on October 10 that UK-based Tullow Oil allegedly paid bribes to the tune of US$100 million to officials to influence decisions.
The ministers and Tullow say the documents were forged and have also received backing from the President although some of his ministers have openly backed the inquiry.