9th Parliament’s most dramatic moments

Parliament being a union of people from all walks of life, it was no surprise that the 9th Parliament was a boiling pot of contrasting scenes – from the Speaker fleeing the chambers to a minister attempting to punch an MP while another threatened to commit suicide right on the floor. The House was never short of a fair dose of drama.
The May 2011 swearing-in was a spectacle of its own with MPs unable to coherently pronounce the words “I solemnly swear”.

As MPs were slowly learning the ropes in the 9th Parliament, Western Youth MP Gerald Karuhanga sent shockwaves in the country when in October 2011, just sixth months after swearing in, he tabled the famous (or infamous) oil documents.
Titled “Brief on Uganda’s oil deals”, the documents stunningly claimed that several ministers pocketed billions of shillings to influence oil deals in the country’s promising sector. The named ministers denied the accusations, with even President Museveni coming to their defence. Parliament instituted a committee to look into the allegations and the ministers were finally let off the hook.

Impeaching Museveni
Then in March 2012, seven MPs set out on a mission to impeach President Museveni. The MPs, led by Aruu County MP Odonga Otto and Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi listed 71 grounds to have the President kicked out of office.
The MPs accused the President of disregarding parliamentary resolutions by allowing ministers who were accused of pocketing bribes from oil exploration companies to continue working and frustrating the prosecution of individuals who caused financial loss to government, among the reasons.
They, as was expected, failed to raise the required signatures and their motion died a premature death. The sight of these MPs on ‘mission impossible’ was one of the early highlights of the 9th Parliament.
In 2013 MPs were again in censure mood, this time calling for the blood of Presidency minister Frank Tumwebaze over his role in the controversial impeachment of Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago –another move that collapsed faster than it started.

With memories of the Karuhanga documents still vivid, government in 2012 sought to streamline the oil sector by proposing new legislation. But the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill, 2012, had an elephant in the room in Clause 9 that sought to give the line minister exclusive authority to negotiate, grant and revoke exploration and production licenses.
The clause was spiritedly opposed by MPs who pointed out that it gives the minister room to abuse authority. With the government not keen on giving in to demands to drop the clause, tempers flared during one session in November 2012 as chaos reigned supreme.

As it became increasingly clear that Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had lost control of the House, she abandoned proceedings and stormed out of the House, leaving viewers in the press and public galleries confused. Ultimately, government won as the Bill was passed with the much-maligned Clause 9.
As curtains fall on 2012, the outspoken Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda breathed her last at a clinic in Kampala. Puzzled by her suspicious death, MPs moved to gather signatures to recall Parliament to discuss the circumstances that led to her death, a move that President Museveni strongly opposed and vowed that the House would be recalled over his dead body and said MPs who were alleging that government had a hand in Nebanda’s death were “fools” and “idiots”.

With the Parliament and the Executive locked in a quarrel over her death, the House contracted a private pathologist to investigate the death of one of their own. Controversy brewed when the pathologist was disowned by the prime minister and Deputy Speaker and arrested on his way to South Africa with body samples from the deceased MP.
MPs Chris Baryomunsi and Muhammad Nsereko were put behind coolers for their statements about Nebanda’s death. Ultimately, the motion to recall Parliament collapsed after MPs failed to raise the required signatures.

Then the case of the four rebel MPs – who were expelled by their NRM party – created a puzzle for Speaker Kadaga. This was always going to test the nerve of the Speaker. As vice chairperson of NRM and member of the party’s Central Executive Committee, the party expected her to naturally do its bidding. But as Speaker, she exercised independence.
At stake was the interpretation of Article 23 of the Constitution which states grounds for MPs losing their seats. In the end, Ms Kadaga risked the ire of her party when she ruled that the four rebel MPs can retain their seats in Parliament. With the four not eligible to seat on either the government or opposition side, four chairs were placed in front of the Speaker for the MPs.

Furious Gen Moses Ali
Third Deputy Prime Minister Gen Moses Ali also had his moments. A likeable figure in the House, Gen Ali was furious when Kyadondo East MP Ssemujju Nganda addressed him as a former Finance minister in Idi Amin’s government.
A furious Gen Ali shoved Ndorwa West MP Wilfred Niwagaba off the microphone and nearly punched him, triggering chaos in the House as MP after another called for a point of order and forcing the Speaker to prematurely adjourn proceedings.
In June 2014, youth under a group calling itself the Unemployed Youth caused a stir when they sneaked two yellow piglets into the precincts of Parliament to protest against graft in the House and youth unemployment.

Rattled by its officers beaten at their game, police recalled pregnant officers attached to the House –saying they were not suitable enough for the task. However, under pressure from women activist groups and Women MPs, the pregnant officers were reinstated with Parliament security now beefed up.
The relationship between Kadaga and Mr Amama Mbabazi – who as prime minister was Leader of Government Business in the 9th Parliament – was always intriguing. With Kadaga in the chair, Mbabazi rarely showed up for plenary, delegating one of his three deputies to step in. With Oulanyah in the chair, Mbabazi was confortable to attend plenary.

With their relationship slowly hitting the abyss, Speaker Kadaga – furious over a story that quoted the premier branding her an Opposition sympathiser – used one plenary session to warn Mbabazi while also putting him on notice to respect multiparty politics.
Then the money drama: In 2013, President Museveni directed that each MP receives Shs5m to consult on the controversial matter of the Marriage and Divorce Bill. However, some MPs rejected the money, saying they were already facilitated to do that very work.

The passing of the Public Order Management Act was one of the haunting moments of the 9th Parliament. Tabled at a time of heightened tension as the country drew close to the 2016 elections, it initially faced resistance from MPs from across the political divide before ruling party legislators were whipped.
During the passing of the Bill, four MPs were suspended from House sittings over their protests. MP Ssemujju Nganda, who was among those suspended, served his suspension but rejected demands from the Deputy Speaker to apologise.

Mr Oulanyah insisted he would not chair the House with Ssemujju attending and ordered him out --another order he rejected. The Deputy Speaker directed the sergeant-at-arms to throw the MP out of the House, causing a stir.
Ironically, as Oulanyah come under fire over his conduct, he cowed, apologised and allowed Ssemujju back into the House.
To draw the curtains down of the drama that panned out in the 9th Parliament, Tororo County MP Geofrey Ekanya threatened to strangle himself with a necktie in 2015 after government rejected his demands for a district to be curved out of Tororo.