Zawedde-Among Meeting Raises Questions Over Former Parliamentary ICT Committee’s Business

A meeting between Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Permanent Secretary Amina Zawedde and former Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among has drawn attention because of the former leadership of Among’s husband, Moses Hassim Magogo, on Parliament’s Committee on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and National Guidance.

Sources said the meeting has raised questions about whether it touched on ICT-related matters previously handled by the parliamentary committee, which Magogo chaired until he left the position in June 2024.

The agenda of the meeting has not been independently established. However, sources described it as a “follow up on unfinished business,” without providing details of the issues allegedly discussed. The meeting has also revived questions about allegations that kickbacks may have been sought or paid to secure committee hearings, favourable recommendations on bills or other parliamentary outcomes involving the ICT Ministry.

Such allegations, if substantiated, would raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability and the integrity of parliamentary oversight. However, no independently verified evidence has established that payments were made in connection with Magogo’s leadership of the committee or that the meeting between Zawedde and Among involved any such arrangement.

What Parliament’s records show

Parliament’s records show that Zawedde appeared before the ICT and National Guidance Committee on March 22, 2024, alongside ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi, to discuss funding challenges affecting the ministry. At the time, Magogo chaired the committee.

The appearance focused on the ministry’s budgetary needs and the resources required to implement its programmes. In a report published on March 27, 2024, Parliament said the ministry was facing a funding shortfall of Shs38.7 billion across its requirements. Zawedde highlighted gaps in funding for local ICT services, digital skilling, the digitisation of government services and upgrades to the Parish Development Model system. The Permanent Secretary told the committee that additional resources were needed to support the delivery of digital government services and strengthen ICT infrastructure across the country. Magogo called for a comprehensive approach to ICT development covering hardware, software and human resources.

His remarks reflected the committee’s oversight role in examining the ministry’s funding requirements and assessing how its programmes were being implemented. The parliamentary report documents the ministry’s funding concerns and its engagement with the committee. It does not mention kickbacks or establish that any payments were made to influence hearings, bills or committee recommendations.

Questions surrounding the latest meeting

The circumstances surrounding Zawedde’s meeting with Among, including whether it concerned previous ICT committee business, remain unclear. No independently verified information currently establishes that the meeting involved an attempt to follow up on alleged payments or specific ICT contracts associated with Magogo.

Similarly, there is no verified evidence showing that discussions centred on committee hearings, legislative recommendations or the passage of bills. Clarification from Zawedde and Among on the purpose of the meeting would help establish whether it was connected to matters previously handled by Parliament’s ICT and National Guidance Committee.

Documentary evidence concerning any alleged payments, contracts or follow-up actions would also be necessary to determine whether the issues raised by sources are linked to the meeting. Until such information is provided, the reported meeting and the allegations surrounding it remain matters requiring further verification. The available evidence does not establish that a kickback was sought or paid, or that parliamentary decisions were influenced.