Absent MP Kipoi could lose Parliament seat

By Moses Walubiri

The parliamentary committee on Discipline, Rules and Privileges has issued beleaguered Bubulo West MP, Tony Kipoi, with fresh summons to appear before it on Wednesday next week as the process that might see him follow Gen. David Sejusa out of parliament gathers pace.

The fresh summons, according to committee chairperson, Fox Odoi, will be delivered to his last known place of domicile, pigeon hole, email and through adverts in the media.

“We intend to make police swear an affidavit that the summonses have been delivered to his last known place of domicile,” Odoi said.

Kipoi, who is believed to be in Eastern DRC has snubbed, summons to appear before the committee to explain his continued absence from the house for fifteen consecutive sittings without the explicit permission of the Speaker.

According to Article 83(1) (d) of the constitution, any legislator who misses 15 consecutive sittings of the house without the Speaker’s assent automatically loses his/her seat.

In the wake of Sejusa’s ouster from parliament over his continued absence without cogent explanation, Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, ordered the Odoi headed committee to furnish the house with a report on Kipoi’s continued absence by 20th December.

Although the committee subsequently issued summons to Kipoi ordering him to appear without fail today, the legislator failed to show up this morning.

In her interface with the committee earlier today, NRM Chief Whip Kasule Lumumba denied knowledge of Kipoi’s whereabouts, describing him as “reclusive and stubborn.”

“No one is above the law, so let the law take its course,” Lumumba said when asked by Ken Lukyamuzi whether NRM is toying with the idea of throwing a rope to its beleaguered member.

In a related development, the committee has demanded that Mukasa Mbidde produce written communication from Kipoi appointing him his lawyer.

Odoi, Lukyamuzi and Susan Amero said the committee is weary of repeating the melodrama that saw Sejusa disown Mbidde as his lawyer midway through its investigations.