The Parliamentary Commission, established under Article 87A of the Constitution, has been fully constituted with the endorsement of the Leader of the Opposition and four back-bench Commissioners.
Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi takes up the mantle of the Leader of the Opposition, replacing Hon. Mathias Mpuuga.
Mpuuga will now serve as a backbench Commissioner of the House representing the Opposition, alongside Hon. Solomon Silwany, Hon. Prossy Akampurira and Hon. Esther Afoyochan, who retained their positions as backbench Commissioners representing the ruling National Resistance Movement Party.
Speaker Anita Among made the pronouncements during the plenary sitting on Tuesday, 09 January 2024 after both the Government Chief Whip, Hon. Hamson Obua, and the Chief Opposition whip, Hon. John Baptist Nambeshe formally presented the names of the office bearers.
Section 2 (2) of the Administration of Parliament Act provides for the composition of the Commission, the highest decision-making organ of the Legislature to include the speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Government Business, Leader of the Opposition, the Minister responsible for Finance and four Commissioners (Backbench Members of Parliament).
MPs react after Hon. Solomon Silwany (second left) was endorsed as a Commissioner during plenary on Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Ssegona is the new COSASE chair
During the sitting, new leadership and membership of different Standing Committees of Parliament were constituted, with Hon. Medard Ssegona replacing Ssenyonyi as the Chairperson of the Committee on Public Accounts (Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises – COSASE).
The Clerk to Parliament is Secretary to the Commission, whose functions include to exercise disciplinary control over staff; and to make recommendations on the allowances payable and privileges available to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of Parliament, among others.
Among also announced that Hon. Abdu Katuntu (Indep., Bugweri County) would replace Hon. Eric Musana (Indep., Buyaga East County) as a representative of independents at the Pan-African Parliament.
Hon. Elijah Okupa (Indep., Kasilo County) has taken up a position as a member of the board of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Among blocks Zaake’s appointment
Meanwhile, Speaker Among blocked the appointment of Mityana Municipality MP Zaake Francis as the Deputy Chief Whip in Parliament, saying that the MP was given hot air because such a position doesn’t exist within the Rules and Procedure of Parliament.
“We don’t have that position (Deputy Chief Whip) in our Rules of Procedure. We don’t have it, withdraw it. We have a whip who is your good self, we don’t have a deputy in our Rules of Procedure. That is air, if someone has been given air, that is air,” said Among.
Her decision followed an attempt by John Baptist Nambeshe, Chief Opposition Whip to designate Zaake for two positions, Shadow Minister of Presidency and Security as well as Deputy Chief Whip, a ploy the Speaker halted, prompting the Opposition to rescind its position.