The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has given government a deadline of one month to table the category of leaders or important persons who should lie in state when they pass on.
Kadaga’s directive followed a moment of silence in honour of the Late Edward Athiyo, the former Member of Parliament for Karamoja South whose body laid in State yesterday.
After the moment of silence for the former legislator who was not accorded a Special Sitting, Kadaga expressed her disappointment to government for failure to avail a criteria and category of leaders who are entitled to lie in State and a Special Sitting after death.
She reiterated her earlier demand for the category to be tabled immediately before parliament so that there is clarity on whose body should be brought to Parliament.
Today’s directive by Kadaga followed her earlier request in October for government to provide a clear procedure on leaders who should lie in State.
This followed an incident where Parliament failed to have a special sitting to honour the late former Attorney General Peter Nyombi amidst contradicting statements from government officials who attributed the development to the Speaker and her Deputy Jacob Oulanyah being on official duty elsewhere.
Nyombi’s body was only brought to parliament to lie in State for Members of Parliament and public to pay their last respect.
Kadaga said that the only persons entitled to lie in state include sitting Members of Parliament and national leaders, like the President, and any others who the Government will have proposed.
“In the 9th Parliament, on the 17th February 2014, I wrote to the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and copied the Principal Private Secretary to H.E. the President asking him to advise the Speaker the category of other leaders or important persons that are entitled to lie in state because there is no criteria. Up to today, I am still waiting for a reply to that letter,” Kadaga then revealed.
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