Hours after several youths were arrested and detained for demanding her resignation, Speaker Anita Among has ordered Adolf Mwesige, the clerk to parliament, to communicate the suspension of plenary sittings for the rest of this week. Hours later, Parliament announced there would be a special sitting to honor a fallen leader of the ruling party.
On July 23, several youths were arrested in the capital Kampala as they attempted to march to Parliament in protest against allegations of grand corruption in the institution. Over 60 protesters were produced in court and remanded.
They face charges of being idle and disorderly, and of being a public nuisance. As the youths protested and got arrested, their MPs were in Parliament sharply divided on whether they should discuss the allegations of corruption in their House or not.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa led the government side in trying to sweep corruption allegations under the carpet. But the opposition MPs led by Joel Ssenyonyi warned that it was not business as usual and things could get out of hand if the issues being raised by protesters are not addressed.
“The institution of Parliament hasn’t received any formal notification of anyone who wants to bring a petition regarding the issues they are talking about in public. I will not move from my chair to start moving around looking for people, soliciting for petitions from the public when we are a formal institution that has formal structures; the address of Parliament is known,” Tayebwa ruled.
“I request that if there is anyone who wants to bring a petition to Parliament, let them write to the leadership of Parliament, we shall guide them on how to bring the petition and we shall receive it.”
It was hoped that there would be a plenary sitting today, July 24 to discuss, among others, a report of the Pan African Parliament delegation to the sixth session in South Africa; as well as reports from the science, technology and innovation committee on its benchmarking visits to Turkey and South Africa.
But hours after the order paper was shared, it emerged that Speaker Anita Among had directed Mwesige to announce suspension of today’s sitting. “I have been directed by the Rt Hon Speaker that plenary has been called off until Tuesday 30th July, 2024, at 2pm,” Mwesige communicated.
Hours later, Mwesige announced that there would be a sitting to pay tribute to National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chairperson for Karamoja region Simon Peter Aleper who perished in an accident at Bukoona along Iganga-Tirinyi Highway. Aleper was a member of the 9th Parliament but lost his bids for the Moroto Municipality seat in both 2016 and 2021.
“Notice is hereby given for a special sitting of Parliament on Thursday, 25th July, 2024 at 2:00pm to pay tribute to the Late Hon. Simon Peter Aleper, former member of the ninth Parliament, who passed away on Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024,” read a notice from the clerk to parliament to all MPs.
By publication time, it was not clear why the speaker had suspended both today’s and tomorrow’s plenary sittings, a day after over 60 youths were remanded for calling for the resignation of Anita Among (the very speaker). The opposition has warned government against pressing the youth against the wall, saying those in power might regret it like Kenya’s William Ruto. (See Details Here).
