Uganda's Parliament: A look at what transpired in 2023
Dec 30, 2023
A special Parliament sitting chaired by the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa successfully censured the state minister for housing, Persis Namuganza over reported misconduct.
It has been an eventful year of parliamentary business. (New Vision archives)
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The dates shown are for when the respective stories were published in the New Vision newspaper.
January 12: MPs grill minister over soldiers’ misconduct
Members of Parliament on the defence and internal affairs committee, vented out their disappointments with what they termed as the degenerating conduct of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers.
January 12: Namuganza skips select censure committee hearing. The lands state minister, Persis Namuganza, skipped the select committee investigating the reliability and credibility of evidence for a censure motion against her.
January 18: Parliament intervenes in NSSF top job saga
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, ordered the gender and labour minister and her finance counterpart to table before Parliament a statement detailing the delay in appointment of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing director.
January 19: Parliament launches probe of NSSF
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, established a five-man committee to investigate developments at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
January 23, 2023: Namuganza censured: How MPs voted
A special Parliament sitting chaired by the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa successfully censured the state minister for housing, Persis Namuganza over reported misconduct.
January 31: Parliament passes sh50 trillion budget
Parliament approved the draft national budget of sh50 trillion for the financial year of 2023/2024.
February 7: Parliament approves pay rise for Police officers
Parliament asked the Government to set aside sh153.2b to increase the salaries of Police officers at all levels in the national budget for the next financial year (2023/2024).
February 24: MPs want extra sh191b for salary, cars, new chambers
Parliament tendered in a request for an extra sh191b in the next fiscal year to close budgetary shortfalls in non-wage bills, salaries, the procurement of vehicles, and the completion of construction works on new chambers.
February 27: Parliament kicks off probe into Karamoja iron sheets, goats saga
Parliament kicked off investigations into reported irregular distribution of iron sheets and goats meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja.
February 28: Carry your own cross, says Speaker
As the iron sheets scandal continued to create an implicating canopy over Cabinet and Parliament, the Speaker, Anita Among, said any minister involved should carry their own cross.
February 28: Parliament starts process to re-enact Anti-homosexuality Bill
Parliament embarked on the process of re-enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which had been passed in 2014, but later got nullified by the Constitutional Court over having been passed without the required quorum.
March 1: Parliament wants minister to resign, NSSF bosses fired
The select parliamentary committee that investigated the management of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) recommended that the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, and NSSF Managers resign with immediate effect over abuse of office.
March 15: Speaker takes blame, returns 500 Karamoja iron sheets
The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among returned the 500 iron sheets she received from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The Bukedea Woman MP said after thorough analysis, she had discovered that the iron sheets were meant for another region.
March 23: Parliament budget slashed: Speaker summons Kasaija
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, summoned finance minister Matia Kasaija for a meeting in her office to explain circumstances under which Parliament’s budget was cut.
April 25: MPs divided over sh117b National ID contract
Parliament rejected a recommendation by the defence and internal affairs committee to award a sh117.8b contract to a Germany-based firm, Muhlbauer High Technology International, for the production of National Identity Cards (IDs) in the 2023/24 financial year.
April 27: Parliament approves sh1.5 trillion supplementary budget. Parliament approved a supplementary budget of sh1.5 trillion for different government ministries, departments and agencies for the financial year 2022/23.
May 2: Speaker, AG clash as MPs pass anti-homosexuality bill
Before passing the Bill, Among clashed with the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi, whom the MPs accused of writing to President Museveni, saying he was forced to concede to some of the provisions in the Bill.
May 3: Parliament blocks controversial new taxes
Parliament kicked off debate on a raft of government tax Bills for the 2023/24 financial year, blocking the introduction of new controversial taxes.
May 4: MPs approve 18% tax on babies’ diapers
After Parliament passed the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, an average mother who purchases the lowest packet of diapers at sh7,000, would now have to fork out an extra sh1,260 on her way to the supermarket after MPs okayed an 18% tax on diapers.
May 9: Parliament honours Engola
Members of Parliament paid tribute to the slain state minister for employment and industrial relations Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola, 65, describing him as a person who contributed to the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, a selfless leader, dedicated and patriotic servant of Uganda.
May 16: Motorists to pay sh2m for speeding
Parliament passed the Traffic and Road Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023, imposing a sh2m fine on all motorists who reject the payment of a sh200,000 express penalty for speeding.
May 18: Parliament passes budget
Parliament approved and passed a sh52.74 trillion national budget for the financial year 2023/2024.
May 23: Parliament okays compulsory motor trackers
Parliament approved the mandatory use of digital trackers on vehicles and motorcycles in the country, as a minority group of legislators protested that not enough investigation was done on the Russian company awarded the multi-million-dollar project.
June 20: Parliament gets new committee chairpersons
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) dropped top parliamentary committee chairpersons of sectoral committees. The changes were announced by the Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua, during the designation of new chairpersons for the third session of the 11th Parliament.
June 27: Parliament okays Islamic Banking
Parliament passed the Financial Institutions (Amendment) Bill that establishes Islamic banking services in Uganda. The one-clause Bill was passed despite the allegations of a group of MPs who had mobilised to block it.
July 5: MPs reject Museveni's proposl to extend Bujagali tax waiver
MPs on the parliamentary committee of finance, planning and economic development deferred approval of a proposal by President Yoweri Museveni asking Parliament to grant Bujagali Hydroelectric Power plant another one-year tax waiver.
July 27: MPs approve extension of LCs term of office
Despite attempts by some opposition Members of Parliament to block the approval of the extension of the expired term of office for LCI and LC2 leaders, Parliament approved the law with limited debate.
August 7, 2023: MP jails sons over drugs
Two biological sons of Kasese Municipality MP Ferigo Kambale were jailed for four months over smoking opium. Opium is a highly addictive non-synthetic narcotic drug that is extracted from the poppy plant (Papaver somniferum).
August 17: Life imprisonment for narcotics cultivation
Parliament banned the use, cultivation and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The House, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, proposed punitive measures for the offenders. A person convicted of trafficking the illegal drugs would pay a fine of sh1b or be imprisoned for life.
August 22: Parliament sets penalties for use of illicit substances
Parliament passed the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Bill, 2023, which allows the licenced farming and use of marijuana, strictly for medical use.
August 29: Speaker Among orders probe into MPs’ bribery claims
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption by some legislators. Without mentioning the names of MPs involved, she directed the committee on trade, tourism, and co-operatives to carry out the investigation.
September 7: Ministers dodging plenary over differences with Speaker — Among
It emerged that some ministers deliberately abscond plenary to hurt the presiding officers. Speaker Anita Among made the revelation while presiding over the House.
October 1: Parliament pimps Speaker’s bar
The three precincts of Parliament reserved for the exclusive use of the Speaker and legislators were refurbished. The Speaker’s bar, situated on the third floor of the south wing, was furnished with executive leather sofas. The area which is adjacent to the members’ lounge was fitted with 10 new executive bar stools with soft leather cushions.
October 10: MPs okay sh13b for students’ loan scheme
Parliament granted the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development permission to release the sh13b budget shortfall required for the students’ loan scheme.
October 17: Tayebwa suspends five NUP MPs
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa suspended MPs Francis Zaake, Betty Nambooze, Joyce Bagala, Derrick Nyeko and Frank Kabuye, all belonging to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP). However, he did not give any reason for their suspension. Tayebwa invoked Rule 89(4) of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament to suspend the MPs.
November 14: Oil imports: Parliament okays UNOC monopoly
Parliament passed the Bill giving the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) a monopoly over the importing of petroleum products amidst protests from a minority group that the proposal stifles competition and is against the spirit of the free market.
November 21: Parliment honours ex-minister Joyce Mpanga
MPs described the late former minister and MP Joyce Mpanga, as a great educationist, fighter for women’s causes, mother, politician, leader, nationalist, and pan-Africanist. The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, moved a motion to pay tribute to the late Mpanga.
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