Man Jose Kayima
Bamunanika County MP, Mr Robert Ssekitoleko, a member of National Unity Platform (NUP) has been kicked out of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee sitting over opposition MPs’ boycott of plenary sessions.
West Budama North East MP, Fox Odoi who’s chairing the committee sitting said the Speaker Anita Among banned MPs who are boycotting plenary sittings from attending Committee meetings until they call off the boycott.
For weeks now, Opposition MPs have mounted a running protest over gross human rights abuse by State security organs, including; alleged abduction, suspected extra-judicial killings and detention without trial of opposition supporters.
Ssekitoleko, who was part of the committee meeting on Monday, November 27, 2023, was kicked out by fellow legislator Odoi with a pretext that speaker Anita Among barred legislators from attending committee meetings.
“The Speaker guided parliament and all its committee(s) that our colleagues, who are currently boycotting the plenary, shouldn’t participate in the meetings of committees and field visits by the committees,” Odoi said, before ordering Ssekitoleko to take leave.
Ssekitoleko to abide by speaker Among’s rules and only return for committee meetings when the opposition calls off their boycott.
“I am constrained to request him (Ssekitoleko) to take leave of the meeting until such time that they officially report to the plenary. The guidance of the Speaker is biding on Parliament and its Committees. Unfortunately, I will not contravene the guidance of the Speaker. So, kindly take leave and let us transact the business of the committee in your absence,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga has attacked the Speaker of the matter as per Daily Monitor
“I personally don’t know what annoys the Speaker (Anita Among ) and what makes the Speaker happy because I don’t think that members of Parliament were elected to make anybody happy. Members of Parliament were elected and so took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, to Parliament, and to the public, not to an individual. So if there are any people claiming that they are not working because they fear the Speaker, they do not deserve to be Members of Parliament” – Mathias Mpuuga
Speaker of parliament Anita Among last week guided that all MPs on boycott should stay away from committee meetings, until they return to parliament. The Speaker also barred them from foreign travels and taking part in the forthcoming parliamentary games.
Opposition MPs have maintained their boycott in protest of the government’s delayed response to concerns raised about human rights abuses, abductions and November 2020 murders. The opposition MPs vowed not to return to parliament, until the government gives them a detailed accountability.
