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Striking opposition lawmakers have received marching orders to defy a directive that was issued last week barring them from attending to critical house business.

Suffice it to note, a majority of opposition lawmakers from three parties namely; Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), National Unity Platform (NUP), and Democratic Party (DP) walked out of Parliament on October 19 this year.

This followed what they termed as Government’s failure to respond to seven pertinent human rights conditions they had earlier tabled.

These include detention without trial, fate of missing persons, continuous harassment of fishing communities by security, and detention of civilians in military courts.

Since then, efforts to settle the impasse through behind-the-door negotiations have fallen flat.

In pursuance of the directive, the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee stood in Chairperson Fox Odoi Oyelowo (West Budama North, NRM) took matters into his own hands and tossed out the suave dressed Ssekitoleko.

At the time, the MPs were deliberating with Justice Minister Norbert Mao on the Judicature Amendment Bill 2023. The burgeoning law among others seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to 21 as a means of addressing case backlog.

While chairing Parliament on Wednesday last week, Speaker Anita Annet Among in a bid to end the month-long boycott of plenary is remembered to have ordered striking MPs to be blocked from committees among other activities.

“I am yet to receive letters from persons who are absent from the House formally and then I will either formally give permission or not depending on the circumstances. If members have decided to be out of the House, then that means they should also not be in the committees because a committee is an extension of the House," Among ruled.

In pursuance of the directive, the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee stand in Chairperson Fox Odoi Oyelowo (West Budama North, NRM) yesterday and threw out Bamunanika County MP Robert Ssekitoleko (NUP).

At the time, the MPs were deliberating with Justice Minister Norbert Mao on the Judicature Amendment Bill 2023. The burgeoning law among others seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to 21 as a means of addressing case backlog.

Defiance

However, while addressing the press on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, Leader of Opposition (LOP) Mathias Nsamba Mpuuga implored his troops to hold firm against any such attempts.

“I want to ask our members chairing the four oversight committees of Parliament; PAC Central, PAC COSASE, PAC Local Government, and Government Assurance to continue doing their work. By the same breadth ask and advise other chairpersons of Committees of Parliament to desist from appearing to be enforcing what is unenforceable. To restrain themselves from wrecking, chasing away Members of Parliament from Committees,” Mpuuga implored.

David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga, the Member of Parliament for Busujju County (Mityana District) during the press conference. (All Photos by Miriam Namutebi)

Although he has no intent of challenging the instruction, Mpuuga noted that the instruction, which is captured on the Hansard, is illegal and offends common sense.

As such, he urged colleagues to ignore orders of such a nature.

“Yesterday, I attended the Appointments Committee with the Speaker. I had four of my members with me in that committee and matters of eviction did not arise,” he narrated.

“I still think that the Speaker communicated in jest and for us politicians, we can understand jest communication to raise political adrenaline but I contend that the Speaker is smart enough to know how impractical it is to implement that directive. I don’t think she is eager or zealous to have it implemented,” Mpuuga summed.

Shadow meeting

That said, it is understood that the civic action has exacerbated divisions within the FDC.

Whereas a host of MPs allied to the Katonga faction such as Ibrahim Semujju Nganda (Kira Municipality) has towed Mpuuga’s line, his colleagues from the Najjanankumbi have taken a different route.

Dissenters who include Cecilia Barbra Atim Ogwal (Dokolo Woman MP), and Emmanuel Ongiertho (Jonam County) contend that would be doing a disservice by skipping critical matters on the floor.

These political fault lines were on display last week during the passing of the Petroleum Supply Amendment Bill 2023.

“One I was at the committee to say this monopoly is not acceptable. We can only put that on record in the house. Whether you win or you are defeated, that’s on a vote,” Mafabi told New Vision.

“I am one of the biggest fuel importers and I have petrol stations. So for us, those who don’t even have cassava stores cannot direct us on how to do business. I was brought to parliament to defend public interest and they told us never to hide information which is useful for decision making,” he added.