By Max Patrick Ocaido
The Outgoing Chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), Abdul Katuntu has urged the public not to compare him with successor Mubarak Munyagwa (Kawempe South).
Katuntu, who is Bugweri County MP said this while handing over office to Munyagwa as committee chairperson after being at the helm for 2 and a half years on Monday.
FDC’s Katuntu asked the media not to compare his leadership as COSASE chairperson with that of Mungagwa saying they are two different people with different methods of work.
“Munyagwa is not Katuntu. He [Munyagwa] has his own ways of doing things and appreciate him as such. I had my own ways and appreciated. If you try to compare us you will have a problem because you will be comparing two different people. So he will have his own methods of working and appreciate it as such,” Katuntu said.
Katuntu urged Munyagwa to build a strong working team if he is to succeed as committee chairperson.
“You need a working relationship with your members. No chairperson succeeds if he has no working relationship with his team. Secondly, there will be a challenge of quorum, and this is a matter you need to coordinate well because time will reach when you will call for a meeting and there are only 3 or 4 people in attendance,” Katuntu said.
The new COSASE chairperson, Munyagwa admitted that indeed Katuntu’s shoes are too big for him to fit in but promised to do his best.
“I am replacing a very great personality. Hon Katuntu is one of the most brilliant lawyers in town, so if you are planning to compare me with Katuntu then that won’t work because these are big shoes I am going to fit in,” Munyagwa said.
He retorted that indeed they are two different persons who should not be compared by the public.
“There is no doubt we are different people and what you need to do is to judge me as Munyagwa and not comparing me with the outgoing chair. Of course, we shall do our work judiciously and not favour anybody basing all our services on team work,” he said, adding that he will always consult the outgoing leadership where necessary.
Katuntu has been the chair of the committee since the beginning of the 10th Parliament in May 2016 overseeing accountability and management of over 112 government agencies under the jurisdiction of the committee.
Over the last Two and half years the committee has submitted 14 reports including special audit on closure of 7 defunct banks by Bank of Uganda and the famous Oil handshake among others.
