Oulanyah declines to halt debate on sexual offences bill

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has declined to stop debate on the Sexual Offences Bill, 2015.

Tabled by Kumi Woman MP, Monica Amoding, the Bill seeks to consolidate all laws relating to sexual offences, combat sexual violence and provide for punishment of sexual perpetrators.

The proposed legislation also seeks to provide for procedural and evidential requirements during trial of sexual offences and other related matters.

As parliament moved to consider the Bill on Tuesday, the Gomba East MP Robinah Rwakoojo raised a matter of procedure seeking a halt on the consideration of the Bill pending a report from the Select Committee investigating allegations of sexual violence in schools and institutions of learning.

Rwakoojo who is the Chairperson of the select committee told Oulanyah that the report will feed into the Bill.

However, Oulanyah said that the Sexual Offences Bill has been before Parliament since 2015 yet the select committee was formed not too long ago. He added that if the matters are substantial, they should have been brought before parliament in a preliminary form especially that the Bill has been on the order paper previously with a debate having taken place last week.

Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs further appealed to Oulanyah for an extension saying that the report of the select committee was to feed into the Bill before it is passed by parliament.

Oulanyah refused to halt the debate saying that Kiyingi and Rwakoojo’s proposals are strange procedures to the House.

The mover of the Bill, Monica Amoding, the Kumi Woman MP was not in the plenary sitting to give her views on the matter despite having informed Oulanyah that she would be available to process the Bill.

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