The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has acknowledged that a lot has to be done to improve the living standards in Northern Uganda. Museveni today graced a first ever regional sitting of parliament at the Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City.
“The things to do are many, and there is need to focus on critical areas. Focus should be on the homestead incomes,” Museveni told MPs who had started the day’s session with several proposals to improve livelihood in northern Uganda.
He stressed that the solution to household poverty is intensive agriculture, but was unhappy that plans to step up irrignation included encroachment on swamps. He said attention should be given to irrigation instead of rain-fed agriculture, which will ensure productivity.
“On the issue of wealth creation, my call remains for the members of parliament to sensitise Ugandans to get into the money economy by embracing the four-acre farming model to boost homestead incomes. My second appeal is for the political class to support our efforts in ensuring free education in government schools if they really care for their people,” Museveni said.
MP Dan Kimosho moved a motion to pay tribute to President Museveni for his leadership of the UPDF that has pacified troublesome areas in Northern Uganda, including stopping cattle rustling in Karamoja.
“I want to thank Parliament for passing a motion, recognizing the work of the UPDF and NRM in pacifying Northern Uganda and pacifying the whole country,” Museveni said, adding that ” UPDF did what had defied other Governments as insecurity in Karamoja wasn’t new at all, it had been there, even in the colonial times. It only got worse after 1979, when the Matheniko, one of the tribes of Karamoja looted arms in the Karamoja barracks, after the Amin soldiers run away.”
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Speaker Anita Among later explained the rationale for the regional sittlings.
“As Parliament, we have planned to have these sittings in line with our vision of a people-centred Parliament, and it is on this basis, that we believe taking Parliament to the people is good legislative practice. At the end of these sittings, we shall submit to you President our findings for further action, since interventions to provide solutions will have financial implications,” Among said.
Earlier, MP Richard Lumu (DP, Mityana South), moved a motion seeking leave to introduce a Private Member’s Bill, The Administration of Parliament Bill 2024, which among others, seeks to have the Leader of the Opposition elected by opposition MPs.
The Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi boycotted the Gulu plenary session.
