The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has directed the Attorney General William Byaruhanga to appear before parliament and give an update on the President’s directive of scrapping the law on idle and disorderly.
President Yoweri Museveni recently ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to release all suspects who are facing charges of being idle and disorderly. Accordingly, IGP Okoth Ochola in a police circular dated October 1, 2019, complied and instructed police officers to stop arresting people on basis of being idle and disorderly.
But the President’s order has since been challenged by city lawyer Male Mabirizi in a court petition describing it as illegal, unreasonable, irrational and issued in a procedure which is improper.
Jackson Kafuzi, the Kyaka South MP on Thursday raised a matter of national importance saying that despite the President’s directive, the law on idle and disorderly still remains on the statute book and that the magistrates will not cite the President’s directive in their ruling but rather rely on evidence produced in courts.
He requested that the Attorney General works with the Uganda Law Reform Commission to ensure that some of the provisions of the law that no longer match with the times are repealed or amended.
Speaker Kadaga directed that the Attorney General William Byaruhanga appears before Parliament and update them on when he intends to implement the decision on the President.
The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairperson Jacob Oboth informed parliament that a section of members on his committee that already expressed interest in processing the amendment of the Penal Code Act to have Idle and Disorderly struck off the statute book.
He revealed that he had tasked MPs Asuman Basalirwa representing Bugiri Municipality and Jovah Kamateeka, the Woman representative for Mitooma district to formally move a motion on the matter.
Oboth said that it was a small amendment that should not be delayed and that if the Attorney General drags, parliament should consider his committee to have the motion immediately tabled on the floor of parliament.
Kadaga said that since the committee had started with the amendment process, it should go-ahead to have the part of the law removed.
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