Kampala August 20—The Uganda Parliament is to start holding regional sittings next week beginning with northern Uganda amid criticisms both from Members of Parliament and some ministers.
A notice from the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige, dated August 19th. 2024 to all MPs, said the first regional Parliamentary session will be held on August 28th at Kaunda grounds in Gulu, northern Uganda.
“This is to inform you that the next Parliamentary sittings will take place on Wednesday 28th August 2024 at 10.00am at Kaunda grounds, Gulu city, northern Uganda. There will be buses to transport members to Gulu on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th August 2024”, the notice reads.
Some Members of Parliament especially from the opposition including the Leader of Opposition, rejected the schedule of regional Parliamentary sessions saying that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Ruhinda South legislator and Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, criticised Parliament’s proposed regional sittings calling them a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Otafiire who was on Sunday August 18 speaking during a thanksgiving mass for Rev. Fr. Vincent Mucunguzi, the parish priest of Mushanga Catholic Parish in Shema municipality, western Uganda, questioned the logistics of accommodating the over 550 Members of Parliament along with their drivers and staff in regions like Gulu and Mbarara, saying it will be strain on local resources.
“You want the taxpayers after paying taxes, fund your trips to Gulu and Mbarara and other areas? How many hotels are there to accommodate all of you?”, Gen. Otafiire wondered.
He pointed out that the idea of regional sittings is a distraction from the real issues affecting the people and is intended to serve selfish interests.
“Whoever the idea of Parliament regional sittings, wants to divert us from the real issues so that they can take advantage of it, but some of us will remain focused”, he said.
The Sheema district woman MP, Rosemary Nyakikongoro, who also attended the mass, agreed with Gen. Otafiire’s remarks saying that Parliament’s Regional sittings undermine the functionality of sectoral committees and local councils.
“The business of regional sittings portrays Parliament as usurping council powers and disempowering councillors”, she said
The leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, accused the Parliamentary leadership of misusing taxpayers’ money on a process that lacks logical and financial sense, considering the country’s current challenges.
“We understand that about shs. 5billion is going to be spent on each of these sittings, not all of them, each of these sittings. The first one being in Gulu, then there will be another in Mbarara, then another in Mbale and one in one of the central Uganda districts. The expenditure is difficult for us to explain to the public and the people we represent. It is total wastage”, Ssenyonyi said.
Parliament however refuted the figures Ssenyonyi mentioned stating that the funds to be used were already approved in the operational new budget.
But some MPs especially from Northern Uganda argue that regional Parliamentary sittings are necessary, as they will inspire development in those areas apart from taking Parliament near to the people.
