Court summons Kadaga over MPs' suspension

Dec 20, 2017

The MPs are Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, Gerald Karuhanga, Allan Ssewanyana, Mubarak Munyagwa, Anthony Akol and Jonathan Odur.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga

Six Opposition MPs have dragged the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, to High court, challenging their suspension from the House on Monday.

The MPs are Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, Gerald Karuhanga, Allan Ssewanyana, Mubarak Munyagwa, Anthony Akol and Jonathan Odur.

They want court to declare the decision of the Speaker to suspend them from Parliament on December 18, as invalid.

MPs Sseggona and Niwagaba have been arrested as they forced their way to Parliament to serve Kadaga with summons.

 The legislators claim that the said order of arbitrary suspension from the ongoing proceedings without consideration of the due process and all the tenets of natural justice is a violation of Article 28 and 42 of the Constitution.

They also want an order, restraining the Speaker from keeping them or any other Member of Parliament from attending or participation in the ongoing proceedings intended to amend Article 102 (b) of the Constitution. Currently, the said article bars any candidate above 75 or below 35 from vying from the position of presidency.

According to the MPs, the Speaker invoked her powers to suspend them from the remainder of the session without regard to an equivocal provision of the constitutions and yet the law on natural justice requires any person to be accorded a right to fair hearing.

"It is in the interest of natural justice that the declarations and orders be granted to the applicant because their suspension has caused them suffering and their electorate whose views will not be represented if they are not allowed in Parliament," reads part of their petition.

Justice Margaret Oguli-Oumo, the deputy head of the Civil Division of the High court is at 2:00pm slated to hear the suspended MP's case.
By press time, the MPS were heading to Parliament to serve the Speaker and the Attorney General with the summons.
The MPs donned red suits and attires, which is currently synonymous with people who are against the lifting of the presidential age limit.

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});