Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine has fired back at legislators who called for him to quite Nommo Gallery over allegations of nonpayment of rent.
Nommo Gallery is a subsidiary of Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC).
In a phone interview with Eagle Online, Gen. Tumwine says the facts are clear as those of 2013 and that his company Creations Limited does not owe Nommo Gallery any single penny.
“The facts are clear as those of 2013 and there is no single arrear owned by me to Nommo Gallery. It is very sad that a parliamentary committee has never invited me for an interface but just went ahead to make recommendations based on hearsay.” Gen. Tuwmine said.
He added “The Speaker wrote to the line minister demanding to establish whether it was true that I was receiving payment as alleged from government and there was no evidence on those allegations.”
Early this week, Parliament directed that Gen. Tumwine vacates Nommo Gallery, on allegation that he occupies the facility since 1998.
Kadaga said, “The issue of Nommo Gallery is a serious indictment of this house that we have been budgeting for Nommo when it has been appropriated by one individual. If we don’t treat this impunity, one day, someone will come and take over Parliament and claim that it is his house claiming that he fought in the bush; so this House directs Gen. Tumwine to pay off the rent but also to vacate because it is a public facility.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga’s order followed the release of a report by the Parliamentary Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development, which indicated that Gen Tumwine owes in excess of Shs1.6 billion in accumulated rent arrears. Asked by Eagle Online whether it is factual that he owes Shs1.6 billion in arrears to the facility, Gen. Tumwine said, “I have never occupied any government land and I don’t owe the facility any rent arrears.
The land was given to Artisans by government in 1964 and so it isn’t government land. Mind you I don’t also receive any money from government as alleged that Nommo Gallery receives Shs44.6 million” he said.
The issue of Nommo Gallery has dragged on since 2013 when it emerged that Gen. Tumwine had been occupying the facility for over years without remitting rent to Ministry of Gender.
