MPs shun Africa peer review meeting
Jul 07, 2009
A meeting called at Parliament to brief MPs on the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) country review report yesterday flopped over low turn-up.
By Henry Mukasa
A meeting called at Parliament to brief MPs on the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) country review report yesterday flopped over low turn-up.
The deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, announced the meeting on June 24, during the plenary session.
She implored MPs to attend in big numbers, saying they would debate the report afterwards.
However, when the APRM national governing council chairperson, Bishop Zac Niringiye and the National Planning Authority (NPA) chairperson, Dr Kisamba Mugerwa, led their team to Parliament, only MP Christine Baku was in the conference hall.
The meeting was scheduled to commence at 10:00am.
After waiting for half an hour, a concerned Kisamba asked his staff whom they dealt with to schedule the meeting.
He was informed that the meeting was announced by Kadaga during a plenary session.
He responded: “If it was an announcement in the half-full chambers with half-hearted MPs listening, then we should not expect many of them.â€
Kisamba sat at the reception table and chatted with Prof. Sarah Sewannyana of Makerere University’s Economic Policy Research Centre.
Later, at different intervals, MPs William Oketcho, Hood Katuramu, Ruth Kavuma, Sarah Nyombi, Bakka Mugabi, Peter Lokeris, Nathan Byanyima, Henry Balikowa and Baku, walked in.
At 11:00am, Baku and Niringiye went to the Speakers Chambers to consult Kadaga.
On return 20 minutes later, Baku announced: “With deep sorrow, I regret to announce the death of this exercise. We have talked to the deputy speaker. We cannot go on because there are many (other) workshops going on and (parliamentary) committees are sitting.â€
As the crestfallen officials and MPs walked out at 11:20am, the leader of opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, arrived, ready to officiate at the close of the dialogue.
“It is unfortunate,†he remarked when he learnt that the meeting had flopped.
A meeting called at Parliament to brief MPs on the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) country review report yesterday flopped over low turn-up.
The deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, announced the meeting on June 24, during the plenary session.
She implored MPs to attend in big numbers, saying they would debate the report afterwards.
However, when the APRM national governing council chairperson, Bishop Zac Niringiye and the National Planning Authority (NPA) chairperson, Dr Kisamba Mugerwa, led their team to Parliament, only MP Christine Baku was in the conference hall.
The meeting was scheduled to commence at 10:00am.
After waiting for half an hour, a concerned Kisamba asked his staff whom they dealt with to schedule the meeting.
He was informed that the meeting was announced by Kadaga during a plenary session.
He responded: “If it was an announcement in the half-full chambers with half-hearted MPs listening, then we should not expect many of them.â€
Kisamba sat at the reception table and chatted with Prof. Sarah Sewannyana of Makerere University’s Economic Policy Research Centre.
Later, at different intervals, MPs William Oketcho, Hood Katuramu, Ruth Kavuma, Sarah Nyombi, Bakka Mugabi, Peter Lokeris, Nathan Byanyima, Henry Balikowa and Baku, walked in.
At 11:00am, Baku and Niringiye went to the Speakers Chambers to consult Kadaga.
On return 20 minutes later, Baku announced: “With deep sorrow, I regret to announce the death of this exercise. We have talked to the deputy speaker. We cannot go on because there are many (other) workshops going on and (parliamentary) committees are sitting.â€
As the crestfallen officials and MPs walked out at 11:20am, the leader of opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, arrived, ready to officiate at the close of the dialogue.
“It is unfortunate,†he remarked when he learnt that the meeting had flopped.