Abdu Katuntu (born 3 December 1965)[1] is a Ugandan politician, lawyer currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Bugweri County,[2][3][1] Bugweri District.[4]
Katuntu worked for Kadaga and company advocates which is owned by Rebecca Kadaga.[1]
He was a member of Forum for Democratic Change party until 2021.[6][1] He served as the Shadow Attorney General in the Parliament of Uganda till 2018[7] and was replaced by Wilfred Niwagaba.[8]
Katuntu was first elected into 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 malpractices.[9] The court found that "during the campaign period and on polling day, there was wide-spread intimidation, and torture in Bugweri Constituency", biasing the result in favour of Kivejinja.[10][1] Katuntu won the resulting by-election.[11][1]
Katuntu served as the chairman on the Parliamentary committee on Rules and Discipline.[12] A committee that concluded that Francis Zaake was guilty of insulting Anita Among and hence removing him from the position of Parliamentary Commissioner.[6][13][14][15]
Katuntu was a chaiperson for the parliamentary committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprise (COSASE). He was replaced by Mubarak Munyagwa in 2019.[2][16][17][18]
Katuntu is known for recovering 47 billion Ugandan shillings recovery from rougue chinese road construction firms in 2016.[1]
Katuntu headed the Parliament of Uganda's task force on Covid-19 where he was assisted by other five members of the parliament of Uganda. Members were tasked to assess the role of the private health players.[19][20][21]
Controversiesedit
Katuntu was described by Yoweri Museveni as a poisonous mushroom who was out to suffocate government programmes as he addressed a rally at Busesa in Bugweri county.[22]
Julius Galisonga, a candidate for Forum for democratic change in the 2021 general election, filed an election pentition against Katuntu at the Jinja high court accusing Katuntu for connving with the Uganda Electoral Commission to frustrate the rightful procedures of fairness of election activities execution.[23][24] Katuntu had won the election with 17,813 votes while Galisonga had 9,074 votes.[25]
^"Zaake protests police raid at his home after retrieving govt car – Kampala Sun". Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2022-03-17). "Zaake petitions Constitutional court to block impeachment". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2022-03-11). "MP Zaake loses Parliamentary Commission seat". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^independent, The (2019-08-28). "MP Mawanda secures leave to introduce BoU Amendment Bill". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^independent, The (2019-02-25). "Munyagwa takes over COSASE leadership". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2021-07-07). "MPs grill private hospitals for retaining dead bodies, exorbitant fees". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2021-06-30). "Parliament sets up taskforce to oversee Covid-19 interventions". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2021-07-08). "MPs furious as minister fails to announce Covid-19 vaccine delivery date". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^Independent, The (2021-09-02). "Auditor General tasked to carry out forensic audit into Covid-19 expenditures". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2023-02-03.