'NRM rebel MPs to be disciplined'

Dec 29, 2012

The days of rebel MPs in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) could be numbered as the party introduce stringent measures against rebellion within the party.

By John Masaba

The days of rebel MPs in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) could be numbered as the party introduce stringent measures against rebellion within the party.

New Vision online has learnt that the issue of indiscipline will take centre-stage as the party convenes at a party retreat from January 11 to 21 at Kyakwanzi.

The NRM caucus spokesperson, Evelyn Anite, revealed that the party agreed to call a caucus meeting next month.

“We do not have rules. What we have is a draft of rules. We have been having problems dealing with issues of indiscipline in the party. When we meet in January, we shall agree on what will become our rules of procedure,” she said.

Adding that there must be a yardstick on how to treat members who fail to deliberately decide to take positions not agreed upon by the party.

She said the party has been having challenges with errant members because how to deal with them was not known.

Party Chief Whip, Kasule Juliet Lumumba, confirmed to Saturday Vision that indiscipline of some members in the party will dominate the agenda of the retreat.

“Indiscipline has been a big issue in the ninth parliament. Also, with the coming of oil, we have found out that foreign interests are glaring. We must come up with rules of procedure to guide how our members should conduct themselves,” Kasule said.

“We have made some progress, but a lot still has to be done. We will use the retreat to review how much we have done in the last one and half years and gauge what tasks are ahead of us. Our focus will be to review the implementation of the NRM manifesto sector by sector and evaluate how we have performed,” NRM caucus chairman, David Bahati said.

He noted that the retreat will run under the theme, ‘Understanding the budgeting process for better service delivery’.

It will also discuss corruption and evaluate the performance of the party.

The issue of ‘rebel’ MPs has become a thorn in the NRM flesh. Early this year, the NRM party spokesperson, Karooro Okurut, advised MPs who are not content with the direction of the party to quit.

And from one incident after another, members have sought to toe a path contrary to the party’s.

In June, a group of MPs were reported by some sections to have formed a pressure group with intent of taking charge of NRM leadership before 2016 elections.

The MPs hijacked a jubilee celebration of a church in Sembabule and announced that they were forming alternative leadership because they disagree with what is going on in the party.

The legislators headed by Ndorwa East MP, Wilfred Niwagaba, installed Lwemiyaga county MP, Theodore Ssekikubo as chairman to spearhead a coalition that was seeking to provide alternatives to the current leaders.

The MPs scoffed at Okurut’s call for them to leave the NRM party. “We are members of NRM and we are going nowhere. We are offering guidance and reform,” Theodore Ssekikubo vowed. The MPs maintain that they are correcting the wrongs in the party.

“We are not breaking away from NRM. If your house is leaking, you do not abandon it. You fix it and life continues,” Hudson Obua said.

MPs like Dr. Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East), Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central), Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara), the late Cerinah Nebanda (Butalega), Okot Ogong (Dokolo county) and Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East) have rubbed the high NRM echelons the wrong way over a host of issues ranging from the government’s alleged feeble stance on corruption, to reinstatement of presidential term limits.

Two MPs, Baryomunsi and Nsereko are in police custody over charges of inciting hatred against the government following the unclear circumstance of the death of their colleague, Cerinah Nebanda.

Others on Police wanted list over the same charges include Ssekikubo, Dr. Samuel Lyomoki (Workers), Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo (Mbarara Municipality) and Emmanuel Dombo (Bunyole).

 

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