Parliament, Gov't lock horns over Cancer Bill

Speaker Kadaga is waiting for President Museveni's decision before taking the next step.

Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga on Tuesday threatened to push through the Cancer Institute Bill without President Yoweri Museveni's explicit approval. 

At the tail end of the ninth parliament, the House passed the Cancer Institute Bill and Uganda Heart Institute Bill. The two pieces of legislation were fostered by then Mbarara Muncipality MP and chairperson of health committee, Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo. 

Under Article 91 of the constitution, the President has 30-days within which to assent to a Bill, communicate his refusal to assent to a Bill and highlight clauses which he feels ought to be amended. 

However, despite the Clerk to Parliament sending the final text of the two Bills to the President for assent in July this year, he only assented to the Heart Institute Bill. 

During the Tuesday plenary sitting, Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, however, promised to proffer an explanation as to why the President had exceeded the constitutional period under which he can assent to or reject a Bill passed by Parliament, and report back to Parliament. 

"It will be unprecedented but before I take the next step, I want the Prime Minister and leader of government business to give us an explanation why the president has taken more than 30 days without communicating to the speaker about his refusal to assent to a Bill" Kadaga said yesterday. 

If a Bill is sent to the President and the he declines to assent to the same Bill twice after being returned to the House, Parliament can pass such a Bill into law without the President's explicit approval, by the Speaker laying it on the floor of the House. 

In the case of the Cancer Institute Bill, President Museveni has not only exceeded the time within which he should have assented to the Bill but has also not communicated to the speaker his refusal to do so.

The Cancer Institute Bill, 2015 is largely tailored to foster research and treatment of cancer in Uganda.

The Prime Minister, however, reported back to Parliament after consultation with the President. Rugunda assured MPs that the Bill will be returned before the end of this week.

"After Parliament's directive yesterday, I had consultation with the President and he assured me that the Bill will be returned before the end of this week" Rugunda said.

Rugunda however did not mention whether it will be returned when assented to or not.