Workers' MP Lyomoki disrupts parliament sitting over delayed passing of NSSF Bill

Aug 27, 2020

Even on Tuesday the same NSSF Bill couldn’t be handled by parliament because the gender minister was not present to present it for the second reading.

PARLIAMENT | NSSF BILL

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, was forced to prematurely adjourn Wednesday's parliament sitting as Workers' MP Sam Lyomoki protested against the delaying passing of the National Social Security (NSSF) Amendment Bill.

Trouble started when the time for the second reading of the Bill came and there was no minister willing to do so.

The minister for public service Muruli Mukasa, appealed to the house to postpone the matter for two weeks until when the relevant minister would be present for the second reading of the Bill.

Even on Tuesday the same NSSF Bill couldn't be handled by parliament because the gender minister was not present to present it for the second reading.

Objecting to the minister's plea, Lyomoki demanded that the Speaker allows the chairperson of the committee Alex Ndezi to read the report for the Bill and that the Speaker directs the relevant minister to turn up the following day for the second reading.

Lyomoki also wondered why the same newly appointed minister for the elderly Sarah Kanyike, who had just read the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Amendment Bill could not read the NSSF Bill since she is from the same gender, labour, and social development ministry.

The chairman of the parliament gender committee Alex Ndezi, informed parliament that the committee had finished processing the Bill and that he was ready to present the Bill.

Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa implored Lyomoki to accept the need to wait until after the NRM primaries scheduled for September 4, 2020, so that the Bill is handled when there are many MPs and ministers.

Kadaga explained that since there was contention on which ministry would be in charge of NSSF between the gender ministry and the finance ministry, it was necessary for both ministers to be present.

The Speaker allayed the fears of Lyomoki arguing that she is the one who had put the Bill on the order paper because she wanted it to be passed.

"Am also anxious to get the Bill out of the way. It is my office that has been getting so many petitions over the Bill. I am putting the minister on notice to know that in the first sitting of parliament after primaries we must have this Bill handled," Kadaga stated.

But Lyomoki insisted that there are invisible forces causing the delayed passing of the Bill which according to him is the reason the same parliament that has been passing many other Bills has not prioritized the passing of the NSSF Bill.

The vocal legislator wondered why rules of procedures could be suspended on other matters like when it was done while parliament was passing the motion for creating parliamentary seats for the elderly but couldn't do the same for the NSSF Bill.

Kadaga responded with further explanation that no one would fail the passing of the Bill because she is the one who is in charge of the order paper.

It is at that point that Lyomoki notified the Speaker and the house that he had come with his beddings which he would use to sleep in the parliament chambers starting immediately that day as a protest against the delayed passing of the Bill.

But Kadaga advised Lyomoki to go and camp at the ministry of finance instead of camping in the parliament chambers.

Kadaga asked Lyomoki to take his seat but the legislator defied the Speaker saying, "No. I will not take my seat. The NSSF Bill has to be passed. We cannot wait any longer. The workers are tired of waiting."

The defiance of Lyomoki compelled the Speaker the speaker to announce, "House adjourned to tomorrow at 2:00pm."

Talking to journalists afterwards, Lyomoki said, "We were sent here to represent workers. A big number of them have lost jobs.

Many of them are having financial hardships caused by COVID-19. Their hope has been in parliament passing the Bill so that they can get some benefits not provided for in the current law."

As was the case on Tuesday, Wednesday's parliament sitting had a very low turn up of barely 20 legislators out of a total of over 452 MPs.

Since the month of March when the lockdown started, NSSF members have been pushing for the passing of the NSSF Bill to enable them get 20% of their savings to cushion them from the economic hardships created by the COVID-19 economic crisis.

President Yoweri Museveni recently met MPs on the committee that has been handling the Bill and cautioned them against the proposal for the 20% payment to NSSF members arguing it could negatively affect NSSF.

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