Drama ensued at Parliament in the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources sitting when MPs Emmanuel Otaala of West Budama South and Jimmy Akena Obote of Lira East Division engaged in a heated exchange, bringing to light political legacies and a contentious debate over a government contract.
Tensions escalated when Akena refused to switch off his microphone, leading to a verbal clash with Otaala. Otaala mocked Akena by comparing his behaviour to that of his father, Milton Obote, a former Ugandan President.
“Your dad was a dictator, and that is on record,” Otaala remarked, highlighting the historical shadow of Milton Obote’s regime. The reference to Obote, who had a controversial reign with alleged human rights abuses, added intensity to the exchange.
Earlier in the same meeting, the two MPs had clashed over the media’s coverage of Committee proceedings related to the scrutiny of a contract between the government and Vitol, a company hired as the sole importer of fuel and gas products into Uganda.
Otaala argued for blocking media access, citing confidentiality clauses within the agreement, while Akena expressed concerns about the transparency and ethics of Vitol’s business dealings.
Akena raised the issue of a $135 million fine imposed on Vitol by the US and Brazilian governments due to bribery allegations.
It should be noted that in 2020, Vitol Group’s U.S. subsidiary agreed to pay $164 million to resolve probes by the U.S. government that the energy trader paid bribes in Brazil and other countries to boost its oil trading business.
The Committee is expected to continue its scrutiny of the government’s contract with Vitol, which will likely involve further debates and discussions in the coming days.