Cabinet retreat: Parliament takes break until after Sept 9

Parliamentarians will have to wait until after September 9 to debate Nakifuma MP Robert Kafeero Ssekitoleko’s private members bill to amend the constitution.

The bill aims to extend the retirement age of judges and judicial officers by five years and open the restricted two term tenure of the Electoral Commissioners.

Debate on the motion was deferred last week to Tuesday by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya, but a letter from the office of the Clark of Parliament today explained that there would be no sitting this week to allow Cabinet complete several programmes September 1 to 9th.

House in chaos as MP Kafeero moves a motion to introduce a private members bill to amend the constitution.#PlenaryUg

— Parliament Watch (@pwatchug) August 25, 2016

Deputy Speaker Oulanyah: We have received this motion and debate on it is differed to Tuesday next week.#PlenaryUg

— Parliament Watch (@pwatchug) August 25, 2016

In the letter to the parliamentarians, the Speaker however directed that Committees of Parliament proceed with their planned activities as scheduled.

“You are hereby  informed parliament will not sit today Wednesday 31, August 2016. Further, following the request by the Rt. Hon Prime Minister and leader of Government Business that Parliament’s sittings be rescheduled to enable Cabinet to accomplish certain activities, which request has been accepted by the Rt.Hon Speaker,” the letter said.

The Cabinet activities are:

• From 1st-2nd September, there will a Cabinet Induction Retreat
• From 5th-9th September, there will a Government Retreat by all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, head of Agencies and Representatives of Local Government on the Government Annual Performance Report (GAPR) for the financial year 2015/16 and the Annual Budget Conference for the financial year 2017/18