Parliament Blocks Bobi’s Desire To Sack Bwanika, Bagaala
Members of Parliament, on Wednesday, rejected a decision by the National Unity Platform (NUP) to remove Kimanya-Kabonera MP Dr. Abed Bwanika and Mityana Woman District MP Joyce Bagala from their positions of chairperson and deputy chairperson of the committee on Government Assurances, respectively.
In a surprise manner, Chief Opposition Whip John Baptist Nambeshe who was holding the floor to designate members of the sectoral committees of the 4th session, which by rules of parliament expire annually, veered off the day’s agenda to announce what he termed as a “party position to redesignate and withdraw the duo from committee leadership, under rule 196 of rules of procedure of parliament
“In line with the rule therefore, I hereby withdraw the name of Hon. Abed Bwanika and the name of Hon. Bagaala Ntwaatwa Joyce as chairperson and deputy chairperson of Government Assurances and Implementation,” Nambeshe said.
He immediately, announced, “I designate Hon. Ssewungu Gonzaga Joseph as chairperson and Hon. Naluyima. E. Betty as deputy chairperson of the committee, I hereby, redesignate them.”
However, his proposal met resistance from some MPs led by Minister of ICT Dr. Chris Baryomunsi and Bugabula South MP Maurice, tasking him to table justified reasons to convince parliament which approved Bwanika and Bagaala to ascend on committee leadership to dethrone them now.
In a short response, Nambeshe reasoned that rules give NUP discretionary powers to deploy and redeploy other MPs when deemed fit.
Recognizing that his whip’s answers were not sufficient to move parliament, motor-mouthed Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi, weighed in with an explanation.
“The committees that we head as the opposition have been meeting severally. The Committee of Government Assurances has not been meeting-they rarely and our thinking as the persons in charge of these [accountability committees], we want these committees to be active because the committee on Government Assurances plays an important role for this parliament because when the government makes promises, those promises are meant to be followed up.” Ssenyonyi said.
He thus concluded, “we want this committee to be quite active and that is why we are using the powers we were given by the rules.”
However, his explanation seemed not satisfactory as a majority of MPs in the House retorted with a “nay” to question whether or not, NUP’s position on redesigansting the duo from committee leadership should be adopted, put by Speaker Anita Among.
It is noteworthy; Bwanika and Bagala among other NUP MPs are perceived loyalists to Nyendo-Mukungwe MP and Parliamentary Commissioner Mathias Mpuuga as opposed to their party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine who is on record of reminding all NUP MPs that he is responsible for their making them what they are politically.
Fact-checking
Unlike Sectoral Committees, Standing Committees, Standing Committees of Parliament have a tenure of two-and-half years meaning changes in their leaderships, happens twice-at the beginning and mid-midterm.
In the 10th Parliament when Rebecca Kadaga was the speaker, cited Parliamentary rules of procedure to block the sacking of Bugweri’s Abdu Kantuntu and his deputy Anita Among from COSASE reasoning that they could only vacate their positions after expiry of their two-half-year term.
In the 11th parliament, Speaker Among blocked NUP from removing Bardege-Layibi Division MP Martin Mapenduzi from his position as chairperson of the PAC-Local Government over the same reasoning.