Abdu Katuntu

Abdu Katuntu
ConstituencyBugweri
Personal details
Born (1965-12-03) December 3, 1965 (age 59)
Butende
Political partyIndependent
Alma materMakerere University
ProfessionLawyer

Abdu Katuntu (born 3 December 1965)[1] is a Ugandan politician and lawyer currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Bugweri County[2][3][1] in Bugweri District.[4]

Early life and education

Katuntu is a practicing lawyer with a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University and a Diploma in Law from the Law Development Centre.[4]

Work experience and political career

Katuntu is a former member of the Pan-African Parliament representing Uganda[5] and served as the Rapporteur of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.[1]

Katuntu worked for Kadaga and Company Advocates, a law firm owned by Rebecca Kadaga.[1]

He was a member of the Forum for Democratic Change party until 2021.[6][1] He served as the Shadow Attorney General in the Parliament of Uganda until 2018,[7] when he was replaced by Wilfred Niwagaba.[8]

Katuntu was first elected to the Parliament of Uganda in 2001.[4][6][1]

He lost his parliamentary seat in the 2006 Ugandan general election to Kirunda Kivejinja but challenged the result, citing widespread malpractice.[9] The court found that "during the campaign period and on polling day, there was widespread intimidation and torture in Bugweri Constituency," which biased the result in favor of Kivejinja.[10][1] Katuntu won the resulting by-election.[11][1]

Katuntu was re-elected for another term in Parliament in the 2011 general elections.

Katuntu served as the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Rules and Discipline.[12] This committee concluded that Francis Zaake was guilty of insulting Anita Among, resulting in his removal from the position of Parliamentary Commissioner.[6][13][14][15]

Katuntu was the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE). He was replaced by Mubarak Munyagwa in 2019.[2][16][17][18]

Katuntu is known for recovering 47 billion Ugandan shillings from rogue Chinese road construction firms in 2016.[1]

Katuntu headed the Parliament of Uganda's task force on COVID-19, assisted by five other members of Parliament. The members were tasked with assessing the role of private health sector players.[19][20][21]

Katuntu Abdu

Controversies

Katuntu was described by Yoweri Museveni as a "poisonous mushroom" who was out to suffocate government programs, as he addressed a rally in Busesa, Bugweri County.[22]

Julius Galisonga, a candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change in the 2021 general election, filed an election petition against Katuntu at the Jinja High Court. Galisonga accused Katuntu of conspiring with the Uganda Electoral Commission to undermine the fairness of the election process.[23][24] Katuntu had won the election with 17,813 votes, while Galisonga received 9,074 votes.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Abdu Katuntu: Biography, Age, Education, Family and Wife". Flash Uganda Media. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  2. ^ a b independent, The (2019-06-26). "BoU scandals linked to Mutebile succession-Katuntu". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  3. ^ "Katuntu Abdu – 2021 General Election – Visible Polls". visiblepolls.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  4. ^ a b c "Mr. Katantu Abdu". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2016-03-19.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ Pan-African Parliament members as of 15 March 2004 Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b c Katungulu, Amon (2022-04-01). "Museveni appoints Abdu Katuntu minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs". Nile Post. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  7. ^ "Opposition names new shadow cabinet: Alice Alaso to PAC". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  8. ^ child (2018-03-07). "Shadow Cabinet". www.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  9. ^ "Anti-Katuntu Demonstrations Held in Bugweri County". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  10. ^ Katuntu Abdu v Kirunda Kivejinja Ali and Another (Election Petition No. 7 of 2006) (UGHC 31 December 2006), Text.
  11. ^ "Katuntu wins hotly contested Bugweri byelection". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  12. ^ "How MP stage-managed return of Shs40m 'bribe'". Monitor. 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  13. ^ "Zaake protests police raid at his home after retrieving govt car – Kampala Sun". Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  14. ^ Independent, The (2022-03-17). "Zaake petitions Constitutional court to block impeachment". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  15. ^ Independent, The (2022-03-11). "MP Zaake loses Parliamentary Commission seat". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  16. ^ independent, The (2019-08-28). "MP Mawanda secures leave to introduce BoU Amendment Bill". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  17. ^ independent, The (2019-02-25). "Munyagwa takes over COSASE leadership". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  18. ^ Independent, The (2021-07-07). "MPs grill private hospitals for retaining dead bodies, exorbitant fees". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  19. ^ Independent, The (2021-06-30). "Parliament sets up taskforce to oversee Covid-19 interventions". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  20. ^ Independent, The (2021-07-08). "MPs furious as minister fails to announce Covid-19 vaccine delivery date". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  21. ^ Independent, The (2021-09-02). "Auditor General tasked to carry out forensic audit into Covid-19 expenditures". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  22. ^ "Museveni calls MP Abdu Katuntu 'poisonous mushroom'". New Vision. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  23. ^ Independent, The (2021-09-10). "Court rejects Abdul Katuntu's witnesses over inconsistencies". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  24. ^ Independent, The (2022-06-02). "Court of Appeal upholds Abdu Katuntu's victory". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  25. ^ Independent, The (2021-10-29). "Galisonga appeals against election petition ruling". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.