Parliament Speaker Kadaga attacks Mbabazi

By Joyce Namutebi & Henry Sekanjako

KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked the Executive to respect the institution of Parliament.

“I have noted with concern statements made by the Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business in connection to my work. I think that leaders in this country should acknowledge that we cautiously took a decision to go multi-party, which means there are many parties,” Kadaga said in her communication to Parliament on Tuesday.

“When I took over office after you elected me, I said I will be speaker for everybody and I want the government to understand that I am,” she said.

Kadaga pointed out that nobody should go on radio to complain that independents or the opposition or NRM members have visited her office.

She said she was “just bothered” because in the 12 years Prof. Apolo Nsibambi was Prime Minister, he never went to the radio to speak about the speaker. “So, I want the Government to understand that we should respect one another,” she said.

The Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, was not in Parliament when Kadaga made her remarks.

At the same sitting, Kadaga directed the Minister of Works, Abraham Byandala, to explain to Parliament what he allegedly said in Butambala.

The directive followed a complaint by area MP, Muwanga Kivumbi (DP), that Byandala abused him last week when his constituency hosted the President and other senior ministers.

Kivumbi said he received an invitation to attend the function, which he honoured, but he was saddened that he was insulted by Byandala.

MPs and the Speaker were not amused when Moses Ali, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and deputy Leader of government Business in Parliament, said in response to Kivumbi’s complaint on Byandala that “being a free democratic country, any aggrieved person is free to go to court for redress.”

Kivumbi demanded an explanation as to why senior military officers are taking charge of the poverty alleviation programme and budget allocation.

In response, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, the defence minister, clarified that the President has been going around the country to ensure that attention is given to veterans as far as poverty alleviation is concerned.