President Yoweri Museveni and Members of Parliament have resolved to amend the existing laws or put a new one in place to prevent future questionable rewards to civil servants.
Museveni met MPs investigating the Shs 6bn handshake on Wednesday and Thursday at State House Entebbe.
The President admitted in the meetings that he approved the release of the money that was given out to the 42 government officials who participated in the tax arbitration battle between the government and Heritage Gas and Company.
He however told MPs on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises that he didn’t know some rules were flouted during the process.
The government officials who took the money have been defending themselves basing mainly on the powers of the president as the Fountain of Honor.
The Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Doris Akol who initiated the sourcing of the money and disbursing it to the accounts of the beneficiaries, told MPs on 12th February 2017 that there was no illegality in the process.
“Under Article 98 and Article 99 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda the President is the fountain of honor and head of the Executive. In accordance with the prerogative of the crown as enshrined in the Constitution, the President is empowered to reward exemplary and ethical performance,” she said.
Later on, the Solicitor General Francis Atoke, former Attorney Generals Fred Ruhindi and Peter Nyombi and Ministry of Energy officials, made this very assertion while appearing before the committee.
However, Museveni and MPs realized at State House that the beneficiaries misused the law and something should be done to avoid the same in the future.
COSASE Chairman Katuntu told journalists at Parliament after meeting the president that the latter concurred with them on the need for a law to regulate rewards.
“The president agreed with our earlier position that a law should be put in place or the existing ones strengthened to police any future reward,” Kauntu said on Friday.