Deputy Speaker Oulanyah Threatens to Suspend Ministers over Absenteeism

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has threatened to suspend Ministers for absence from parliament yet they have business to handle during plenary sittings.

This followed the absence of both the Ministers of Finance and Health from parliament this afternoon yet they had issues to address on the order paper.

The Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda informed the deputy speaker who was chairing the sitting that the problem of ministers’ absence from parliament is being addressed and said that the liaison officers that were trained this week will address the problem of poor communication.

Oulanyah, however, was not convinced and informed the Prime Minister that the order paper is uploaded early enough for ministers and warned that from today any minister who misses parliamentary sitting when they have issues to address in the house will be suspended.

According to the order paper, the Ministers were supposed to provide verbal responses to the questions that were asked prior by Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze and Bulamogi County MP, Kenneth Lubogo.

However, when time for response came, the responsible Ministers were no where to be seen which prompted the Speaker to warn members of the front bench.

“Each time the questions are raised and the Minister responsible doesn’t show up, I will suspend that Minister from the House,” Oulanyah ruled.