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Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among has urged committees to expedite the processing of Bills.

“As we draw to the close of the third session of the 11th Parliament, we need to offset all the pending business and take priority on the Bills. I, therefore, urge all the chairpersons to ensure that the Bills are completed and brought to the House for consideration,” she says.

Among made the call on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, during plenary. Whereas this is imperative, Charles Tebandeke (Bbale County, NUP) expressed reservations about the Executive’s will to enforce legislative pieces.

“My worry is we have processed a number of Bills and I have also seen the order paper is full of a lot of Bills but even the Bills we process, assenting to those Bills becomes a big challenge. Even where Bills have been assented to by the assenting authority, the ministers to come up with regulations to effect the performance of these Bills become a challenge,” Tebandeke said.

However, the Speaker asked Tebandeke to stay in his lane saying their job is to make laws and it is upon the Executive arm of Government to either sign or decline Bills.

“Let’s do our job, let’s not take over some other responsibility which is not ours. Ours is legislation, let's legislate, and pass the Bills, the assent is on the Executive and the issue of drawing guidelines is on the Executive. We should not stop what we are supposed to do because the other people are not doing what they ought to do,” she said.

Apparently, the trade committee headed by Mwine Mpaka (Mbarara south, NRM) and the Health committee led by Dr Charles Ayume (Koboko municipality, NRM) are scrutinising the Alcoholic Control Bill, 2023.

The Bill moved by Sarah Opendi (Tororo Woman MP, NRM) seeks to regulate the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks. The proposed Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill suggests that all persons found liable of selling alcohol beyond 10:00 pm and midnight on weekdays and weekends respectively either be fined sh20 million ‘or imprisonment for a period of 10 years or both.

“A licensee shall not sell an alcoholic drink or native liquor before (a) 17:00 hours and after 22:00 hours on working days; (b) 12:00 hours and after 00:00 hours on public holidays and weekends,” clause 14 of the Bill states.

Poor attendance 

In light of this directive, Jonathan Ebwalu (Soroti West, Indep) says the House must strictly enforce attendance rules.

“For us we have been here, all the time attacking the absence of ministers. Today, I see only two are here, we don’t see the Attorney General. But even before we go to the ministers, look at our side, the Opposition, we are not in Parliament,” Ebwalu said.

At the height of the Opposition boycott of plenary last year, Among banned absentee MPs from attending committee hearings.

“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,” she ordered on November 22, 2023.

“I want you to invoke Rule 203 (5) for you to continue transacting and an elected member within your committee…. I am going to print that list of members who have logged in, stayed out there and pretended to be in the House and I will publish those names of people who don’t have integrity. You are either inside or not out” she warned.

Besides ending a month-long boycott which was spearheaded by the then Leader of Opposition (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga, Among in her heart of hearts had thought this would encourage members to attend plenary.

However, five months later, poor attendance of plenary remains a key concern.