Tayebwa: Parliament decision on regional sitting due

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliament of Uganda has yet to decide on the plans to hold sittings of the August House across the four regions of the country, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has revealed.

The Deputy Speaker equally did not confirm reports the Parliamentary Commission plans to spend five billion shillings on each of the regional sittings.

There have been reports that there are plans to begin such sittings with the first one slated for Gulu. The Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, brought the matter to the limelight this week.

He told journalists that the opposition cabinet had resolved to boycott the regional sitting citing the hefty cost estimated at twenty billion shillings.

Ssenyonyi said the opposition had been excluded from planning for the regional sittings. He further stated that the expenditure of twenty billion shillings was unnecessary and wasteful.

The matter of the regional sittings came up again during the plenary sitting of the parliament chaired by the Deputy Speaker. Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba rose up and demanded that the leadership at parliament explains.

“Mr. Speaker, we are members of parliament here. Whatever decision goes on in your leadership, we need to be involved. Should we expect a proper motion before this house? Proposing the hosting of Parliament beyond this House,” Nsamba asked.

Nsamba pleaded that proper communication needed to come from the leadership at parliament explaining why the parliament should sit at the regional levels.

Matters appear like yet another standoff between the opposition in Parliament and the leadership at the Parliament headed by Anita Among.

Joel Ssenyonyi, who should be attending the Parliamentary Commission, has indicated that it has never met to discuss the regional parliamentary sittings. Such sittings were not held under the previous leadership at the parliament of Uganda. The tension could be read from the tone and posture of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa.  “In this house, if we think some of us will go clean others dirty, it might end all mixed up,” he said.

Tayebwa has previously warned of the possibility that the opposition and those in leadership in parliament could sink together.

“I also saw exchanges in the media. Which was unpleasant and really uncalled for. And that is why I say when we are making statements, we should be very cautious. I do not think we are spending five billion, “said Tayebwa. He did not state how much the commission plans to spend if indeed parliament decided to go ahead with the sittings.

However, Tayebwa said the rules of the Parliament vest powers in the speaker of Parliament to determine by proclamation where parliament can hold its sitting.

“Now the Speaker under general authority rule seven can determine where a sitting can be. That is how we go to Kololo, which is how we used to go to Serena. I cannot remember when we had a motion here. Where you would first debate. And say we have made a resolution to sit here and there” he said.

Ssenyonyi told journalists that he had information that the first sitting was slated to take place at the end of this month in Gulu. The matter continues to draw debate in the media, civil society, and political actors.

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