Kisanja fight in parliament

By Joyce Namutebi and Milton Olupot

PARLIAMENTARY proceedings were yesterday disrupted when a minister and a backbencher clashed during a heated televised debate over kisanja money.
During the first live broadcast in the history of Parliament, state minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa and Aruu MP Odonga Otto clashed physically, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for five minutes.

At its first sitting from a three-week recess for MPs to consult their constituents over the Government White Paper, the Speaker had a rough time containing charged MPs, who accused him and some of their colleagues of taking a sh5m “bribe.”

Trouble began when Nankabirwa pulled at Otto’s jacket after he presented a petition against MPs who allegedly collected sh5m from the National Resistance Movement Organisation.

In a petition by “aggrieved members of the public in respect of breach of conduct by MPs” presented by Otto, the petitioners urged that the names of MPs who took the money be made public.

They urged the Speaker to give a statement to Parliament to reflect the displeasure of the House with the conduct in issue and also called for setting up a select committee to look into their grievances.

Otto, who was taking his seat between Nankabirwa and Capt. Mike Mukula on the front bench reserved for ministers, in a fit of rage hit Nankabirwa’s hand, forcing his papers to fly over her head to the back benches.

He towered over and pointed at her until Ssekandi called the Sergeant-at-arms to throw him out of the Chambers. However, Otto resisted.

The Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, moved over to the Speaker and whispered to him, apparently advising him not to throw out Otoo. When the House resumed, Mukula shifted and sat between the two.

Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya and Nsibambi later talked to Nankabirwa as the proceedings went on.

Ssekandi warned, “Let us not use this House to make headlines in newspapers or to be seen on TV. This House is for debating serious issues. We are honourable members and not honourable members in inverted commas.
Issues cannot be won by shouting but by arguing on merit.”

This is not the first time that the two are clashing. In September last year, Otto paraded his family to Parliament to prove that he was not childish, as Nankabirwa had alleged.

Prior to yesterday’s fracas, Moses Kizige (Bugabula North) had moved a motion calling for rejection of the petition. He said the petition was factually wrong, improperly and disrespectfully worded and did not conform to the rules of Parliament.

Kizige’s motion was overwhelmingly supported by largely Movement supporters in the House.

Aggrey Awori (Samia Bugwe North) at one point stood up and shouted, “No way! no way! you ate the money,” as other MPs replied, “Yes. Yes.”
Mike Mabikke (Makindye East) said Ssekandi was not the right person to preside over the motion since he was a beneficiary.

“Can I be guided on how I can move a motion that another speaker be elected to preside over this motion?” he asked.
However Ssekandi replied, “Aren’t you conversant with the constitution? I’m going to preside over this matter up to the end.”