Corridors of power

May 13, 2009

<b>Cecilia on chicken</b><br>The outspoken Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal, misses on one simple thing—tasting a piece of chicken. She recently told a workshop at the Golf Course Hotel that she is not a conservative woman because, although she does not

Cecilia on chicken
The outspoken Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal, misses on one simple thing—tasting a piece of chicken. She recently told a workshop at the Golf Course Hotel that she is not a conservative woman because, although she does not eat chicken, she cannot stop female family members from doing so. She was contributing to a debate on the Food and Nutrition Bill 2008 where she argued that greedy men hide under cultural norms to eat all the chicken the women rear and cook. As the men eat, the other family members only salivate. Some MPs laughed it off wondering how Ogwal knew how tasty chicken is without eating it.

Undiplomatic lingo
Uganda’s ambassador to Switzerland Maurice Kagimu Kiwanuka needs some lessons in diplomatic language. Debating the Food and Nutrition Bill 2008 at a workshop last Friday, he said that scholarships that were given students at sub-county level always ended up being given to the children of local government officials who are dense. Betty Amongi (independent) who was near him warned the ambassador against foul language: “Imagine a whole ambassador using undiplomatic language! Better adjust fast or Uganda will be misrepresented.” Kagimu apologised but added that the problem of bread winners failing to feed their families was due lack of education. “The more educated a couple is the fewer children they have.” But this too did not go well with the MPs who retorted that the ambassador should not indulge in other people’s ‘blanket matters’.

Kivejinja advises
Internal affairs minister Kirunda Kivejinja can be poetic in his speeches like Justice James Ogoola. He recently told a gathering at a book launch at Imperial Royale Hotel that in order for civil society organisations to make an impact they must not be in brief cases but go to the grassroots. “God had one son. To be a child of the Almighty is no mean thing. Jesus never stayed in heaven but came to earth. If you are agitators go to the village,” he advised.

Right to eat
Margaret Sekaggya, now a consultant with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), still remembers her service with the Uganda Human Rights Commission. After a presentation of the Food and Nutrition Bill 2008 last Friday she suggested that participants first have break tea before continuing with the deliberations. She said: “Please let us have tea because you have a right to food and tea is ready.”

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