Regional Sittings: Ssenyonyi’s ‘Decree Backfires’ As MPs Defy Boycott

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi finds himself on shaky ground after a substantial number of opposition MPs defied his directive not to attend the Parliamentary Regional sittings, starting in Gulu City, tomorrow. The MPs have widely described Ssenyonyi’s directive as a “decree,” likening him to the dictator Museveni they aim to remove from power.

Citing the need to avoid wastage of taxpayers’ money, Ssenyonyi who was still jet-lagged as a result of his 2-week tour of Canada and the USA had used a press conference organised in the LoP boardroom at Parliament to direct all opposition MPs to boycott the Parliamentary regional sittings.

The Lop, said, that all issues could be handled by parliamentarians from the parliamentary building without traveling to the four regions; Northern, Western, Eastern, and Central.

However, some MPs have openly defied him, rejecting what they see as a “dictatorial” approach.

Mityana South MP (DP) Richard Lumu, who unsuccessfully petitioned the LoP asking him to convene the entire opposition caucus to build a wider consensus on the matter, used his appearance on BBS TV’s show Zukuka nensonga on August 27th, to express his dislike for Ssenyonyi’s directives, comparing them to those issued by President Museveni.

“I hate being governed like cows or goats like I cannot think for myself. He [Ssenyonyi] made a directive, not guidance, which should have resulted in consensus,” Lumu said, “you cannot sit and come out to say, as Cabinet, we resolved.”

“Where is the difference between you [Ssenyonyi], and Yoweri Museveni we want to remove out of power? That is what Museveni does exactly because he sits somewhere and takes decisions without involving others and then enforces them onto Ugandans.” Lumu said.

He explained that some political parties out of the six that constitute the opposition in Parliament have fewer MPs who are not even members of the shadow cabinet.

“For example, JEEMA and PPP have one MP each. In DP, we have 9 MPs, UPC has 11 MPs, FDC has 35 and NUP has 57. What should have been right for the shadow cabinet to sit, conceive the idea, and then bring it to the opposition caucus for the final decision other than the other way round,” he said.

He asserted, “I have never seen a red flag [on wastage of money] being raised by the LoP Ssenyionyi yet we were all around when this budget was being approved by Parliament. That is the hypocrisy I am talking about. We do something different [in Parliament], and tell the people a different thing, and this why I had wanted to see him and remind him that we approved the sittings in his presence.”

Micheal Kakembo Mbwatekamwa (NUP, Ntebbe Municipality”, another opposition MP, echoed Lumu’s sentiments, asserting that Ssenyonyi should adopt consensus-building approaches instead of issuing decrees.

“We cannot be ordered not to go for regional Parliamentary sittings without justifications. The LoP has no choice, but to learn how things are done. He should reflect on the best modalities of leading mature people at the level of Honorable Members of Parliament,”Kakembo said.

He advised LoP to adopt consensus building on serious issues because MPs who attend such meetings are always bound by the corrective responsibility rule which is not the case with using decrees on mature men.”

He explained, “that is not the level of democracy we are fighting. Some of us opted not to join the NRM because it is the order of the day there. After all, NRM members are not allowed to make personal decisions using their brains.”

He said that he is ready to explain to his constituents and Ugandans his motivations for defying the LoP.

“It is foolhardy to tell our people that in going for these sittings inside our country, we are after the money. Which MP or any servant in a government agency who does not receive allowances while on duty yet even those that go to play East African Parliamentary games also get allowances, even those on committee work, are facilitated why not now when Parliament is sitting in Gulu? If you have such a reason to front against the sittings, yet you are training to go for Parliamentary games in East Africa, you become an idiot,” a furious Mbwatekamwa said.

He concluded, “If we apply an idiotic approach to work, we sink so low amongst our people who will adjudge us childish to make any serious contribution towards nation-building and therefore, we should do things that project us as mature and serious people in alternative than doing these stupid things all the time.”

Masaka City Woman MP Juliet Nakabuye Kakande (NUP) pointed out that the Parliamentary sittings were fully planned and budgeted for.

“When our attendance comes, and we say we will not go, it’s baffling,” Nakabuye said, advising that opposition should have been done this during the “processing stage, not implementation.”

Kimaanya-Kabonera’s Dr. Abed Bwanika (NUP) disputed Ssenyonyi’s claims of not being aware of the regional sittings, questioning his understanding of the budget process.

“This would have been the best opportunity for the party to expand its structures, but instead of expanding the party structure, he is saying I am not going, I was never informed,” Bwanika said.

“We are going to Gulu City, that is where Parliament is going to sit and we are going to focus on issues of Northern Uganda. It is very important that we in the Opposition learn that the Parliament of Uganda is a national Parliament, so when we are going to deliberate on issues, we should not behave as if this is a school and go into school politics,” Bwanika added, arguing LoP to rethink his position.

In defying LoP, Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA, Bugiri Municipality) pointed read the hypocrisy of approving the budget for regional sittings and then boycotting them.

“The MPs should end hypocrisy when they sit in Parliament and approve something, you don’t change their position when the public disagrees with it. There has never been an opposition caucus meeting that discussed this matter. I had advised that on controversial issues such as this one, they would have called the entire opposition caucus to discuss and reach a decision not shadow cabinet which is a privilege to some,” said Basalirwa.

He added, “Because they failed to convene the caucus, we now have divergent views and I would have thought the LoP would be able to listen to opposition MPs from Gulu before making a decision and we lost such an opportunity.”

Regards the threats that the public would judge those defying LoP harshly, Lumu emphasized the need for consensus, saying, “our voters are wise. You can lie to them today, tomorrow, and the following day, but critically one day, they will ask you a question, and you will fail to respond because you will be long forgotten about your lie.”

The defiance of Ssenyonyi’s directive by members in his ranks, has exposed the divisions within the opposition, with some MPs calling for a consultative approach to decision-making.