The Parliament of Uganda
has yet to decide on the plans to hold sitting of the August House across the
four regions of the country.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament,
Thomas Tayebwa equally did not confirm reports the Parliamentary Commission
plans to spend five billion shillings on each of the regional sittings.
There have been reports
that there are plans to begin such sittings with the first one slated for Gulu.
The Leader of the
Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, brought the matter to the limelight this week.
He
told journalists that the opposition cabinet had resolved to boycott the regional
sitting citing the hefty cost estimated at twenty billion shillings.
Ssenyonyi said the opposition
had been excluded from planning for the regional sittings. He further stated
that the expenditure of twenty billion shillings was unnecessary and wasteful.
The matter of the
regional sittings came up again during the plenary sitting of the parliament chaired by the Deputy Speaker. Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba rose up and demanded that the leadership at parliament explains.
Mr. Speaker, we are
members of parliament here. Whatever decision goes on in your leadership, we
need to be involved. Should we expect a proper motion before this house? Proposing
the hosting of Parliament beyond this House,” Nsamba asked.
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expect……
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the better”////
Nsamba pleaded that proper
communication needed to come from the leadership at parliament explaining why
the parliament should sit at the regional levels.
Matters appear like yet
another standoff between the opposition in Parliament and the leadership at the
Parliament headed by Anita Among.
Joel Ssenyonyi, who should be attending the Parliamentary
Commission, has indicated that it has never met to discuss the regional parliamentary
sittings. Such sittings were not held under the previous leadership at the
parliament of Uganda.
The tension could be read
from the tone and posture of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa. "In this house, if we think some of us will go clean others dirty, it might end all mixed up," he said. Tayebwa has previously warned of the possibility that the opposition and those in leadership in parliament could sink together.
“I also saw exchanges in
the media. Which was unpleasant and really uncalled for. And that is why I say
when we are making statements, we should be very cautious. I do not think we
are spending five billion, “said Tayebwa.
He did not state how
much the commission plans to spend if indeed parliament decided to go ahead
with the sittings.
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you it goes”///
However, Thomas Tayebwa said
the rules of the Parliament vest powers in the speaker of Parliament to determine
by proclamation where parliament can hold its sitting.
“Now the Speaker under
general authority rule seven can determine where a sitting can be. That is how
we go to Kololo, which is how we used to go to Serena. I cannot remember when
we had a motion here. Where you would first debate. And say we have made a
resolution to sit here and there” he said.
Ssenyonyi told
journalists that he had information that the first sitting was slated to take
place at the end of this month in Gulu. The matter continues to draw debate in
the media, civil society, and political actors.
