Tweeps have roasted the former Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga for turning social media into a debating platform other than raising her concerns in Parliament which she has absconded ever since she lost election for Speakership.
The reactions from the concerned members of public over Kadaga’s absence from Parliament followed her tweet on Friday in which she tried to under look the decision that was taken by Parliament to suspend all pending business of the 10th Parliament which she presided over.
“It is unfortunate that there have been attempts to circumvent rule 235 of the Rules of Procedure o Parliament which would have guided the transition from the 10th to the 11th Parliament. Once a bill is returned No new matter may be Introduced,” Kadaga tweeted.
One after the other shoot up to roost the former Speaker for expressing her opinion through a wrong forum instead of having been in the house that to raise her concern in the house where she is still a member as a Woman representative of Kamuli district.
“Its like I remember you are still an MP. Isn’t it within your duties to raise a matter of procedure or order in the house of Parliament? As a former speaker, you should be welcome to guide the house,” tweeted a one Pascal Muhindo (Pascal Truth_Always).
Erimia Milton noted, “Why are you absent from the house? You should have been there and ask for time and a point of information. Why extend it to social media if you mean good for your predecessors?”
“So you aren’t content in that office? The body is in that office and then your heart and soul in Parliament, maybe you’re forgetting that the Parliament decided and gave the responsibility to Oulanyah (Jacob Oulanyah) as the 11th Speaker. Keep your lane and your ideas to yourself,” noted Aisha Adam.
Rashid Shaban noted, “Are you not a Member of Parliament? Do you want to debate via Twitter? Let me hope on Tuesday you will go and represent your people by tabling your views on the floor. Go and face your bosses, Rt hon Oulanyah and Rt hon Anita Among.”
In his recent guidance to the house on the matter, the Speaker Jacob Oulanyah explicitly explained circumstances under which Rule 235 could be applied to save the pending business of the 10th Parliament.
Rule 235 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament states that; (1) A Bill, Petition, Motion of other Business before the House or a Committee during a term of Parliament lapses upon dissolution of Parliament.
(2) Notwithstanding sub rule (1), a Bill, Petition, Motion or other Business before the House or any of its committees may be reinstated in the next Parliament by a resolution of Parliament.
(3) The reinstatement of a Bill, Petition, Motion or other Business before Parliament or Committee shall be treated as a fresh reference to that Committee.
(4) The resolution of Parliament referred to in sub rule (2) shall be passed in the second sitting of the first session of Parliament.
(5) Business reinstated shall be handled and completed in the first session of Parliament.
“On 4th June, 2021 during my communication at the State of the Nation Address; I made reference to Business that remained incomplete by the 10th Parliament, I noted then that whereas that was the second sitting of the House, a motion would have been moved in that sitting to reinstate business that lapsed with the 10th Parliament in line with Rule 203 and Rule 235(2) of the Rules of Procedure. I guided that given the nature of that day’s sitting, the motion would be moved at an appropriate future sitting, the motion would be moved at an appropriate future sitting,” Oulanyah noted.
However, in his communication to the House on 26th August 2021, Oulanyah questioned the manner in which such business comes to the 11th Parliament and the difficulty to track the timelines as required in the Rules of Procedure to execute the assignments.
Oulanyah finally given up on the business of the 10th Parliament advising members as well as Government who are interested in any pending issue to have it reintroduced in the House and that business shall begin afresh.
This has since kicked off as Government tabled a total of 6 bills this week including the National Social Security Funds (NSSF) Amendment Bill.
