After months of back and forth, Parliament's rules, privileges and discipline committee has said it will in a fortnight wrap up hearings into a disciplinary complaint raised by Rakai District Woman MP Juliet Ssuubi Kinyamatama.

Last year (October 12), Kinyamatama dragged fellow legislator Francis Zaake of Mityana municipality for exhibiting what she called unparliamentary behaviour.

She alleged that while addressing a gathering in Rakai district last Independence Day, Zaake used vile and belittling language towards the persons of Buyamba county MP Ssemwanga Gyaviira and Kinyamatama.

The Rakai legislator contends that she was referred to as "dense" and a "sex worker", claims that Zaake and his lawyer Erias Lukwago disagree with.

“The statements by Zaake implied that I am engaged in commission of criminal offence of prostitution against the provisions of sections 139 of the Penal Code Act whose punishment is imprisonment for a period of seven years. This is unacceptable and derogatory to any woman in this era to be referred to as a sex worker,” Kinyamatama said previously.

Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake (left) having an interaction with his lawyers Erias Lukwago and Marvin Saasi during the Rules Commmittee sitting on Tuesday. (Photo by Edith Namayanja)

Issuing the ruling on Tuesday (March 5), committee chairperson and Bugweri country MP Abdu Katuntu said they are under tight schedule.  

“Colleagues, as you had agreed, we are going to sort out this matter in the next two weeks and all matters that are pending before this committee. Can you, Honourable Zaake and your legal team know that within two weeks we should be able to have resolved this one. We don’t want it to go on and on,” said Katuntu.

Lukwago pleads

The complainant (Kinyamatama) was absent on Tuesday, having travelled upcountry.

Present was Kawuma Sitenda Kayongo, a trader from Buyamba Trading Centre and social media handler for Gyaviira and Kinyamatama. 

Other witnesses included William Kalemera, Charles Ssentume and Ronald Sserwanga, a personal assistant to the Buyamba county MP.

Before leaving for an engagement with Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, Lukwago argued that Kinyamatama's absence alone implies that she has lost interest in the matter.

“I am constrained to ask the committee whether she has lost interest in the matter because she has not indicated that she is interested in pursuing it further. The proceedings can terminate at this stage,” he implored.

“In the alternative, if you can be persuaded that yes, she can be given any other opportunity, we request that the committee makes adjustments accordingly. But it will be prejudicial, I reiterate, to proceed with other witnesses before we dispose of these matters with the complainant herself."

Okoro County MP Gabriel Okumu reacted by saying Lukwago was personally responsible for the technical delays having walked out in protest during the last hearing on February 13 this year.  

“I remember the last time we were to adjourn our interface prematurely was because he [Lukwago] chose to excuse himself and the honourable Kinyamatama was here and available to be cross-examined. Today, the same counsel is telling the committee that he did not complete his cross-examination."

However, rather than blaming it on either party, Katuntu flagged the committee to proceed with work.

“We are not going to stop work and say we are going back empty-handed. We are going to resolve this matter depending on the evidence we have and we shall make a report and I have already given a timeline which must be respected," he ruled.