Selective law
Have you ever heard of a law that does not apply to certain regions in Uganda? The Acholi MPs have sworn that once passed into law, the Land Bill will not apply to them! Addressing the press on Thursday, the Acholi parliamentary group chairman Livingstone Okello Okello amused journalists when he swore that his region will never implement it if the Land Amendment Bill is passed the way it is. “We rejected the Bill right from the beginning. And we promise that with or without amendment we will never implement it once it is passed into law. It will not apply to us,” he said.

Anywar swears
They say experience is the best teacher. Kitgum MP Beatrice Anywar has now leant the hard way. She does not know why her motions on kavera (polythene bags) ban are always stolen from the MPs’ pigeonholes. Addressing the press last week, Anywar told journalists that ‘nugu’ (envious) people stole her motion and even removed it from the order just minutes to the plenary. “Now I have learnt what to do. They will never steal them again. I will be supplying them inside the House,” she said. We hope they will not be stolen from the printer.

Otto blamed
After Aruu MP Odonga Otto blowing the whistle on the ‘CHOGM bribe’, some MPs are not happy with him. They claim he stole their idea. One MP from the west, whom Otto named as a witness told journalists that ‘he blew the ‘thing’ too early’. “I am carrying out my own thorough investigations. Otto stole my idea. He has failed to produce evidence because he just heard rumours in the corridors and then went and reported the MPs. I was not happy with the way he handled the matter. That is the problem with people who want to hijack things,” he complained.

Difficult name
The head of the delegation of visiting Germany MPs Karl Addicts had a problem pronouncing MP James Kubeketerya’s name. During the introduction of chairpersons of session committees, the interpreter Eva Unuerdorben also failed to spell the eleven-letter name. She only stopped at ‘Kube’ and gave up. It is Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who saved the day. She said: “some African names are difficult to spell. Please shorten the name to Kube.” The MPs roared with laughter.