Highs, lows of the 10th Parliament’s first session

With the first session of the 10th Parliament down, the House is up for assessment and scrutiny as its report card so far carries a mixed bag of average and poor performance.
There have been high moments when the public looked at Parliament with admiration and others when the legislature suffered an indignation. First, the high moments.

The oil probe
Dubbed the Presidential handshake, Parliament can arguably designate MP Abdu Katuntu-led probe, for some, as its golden jewel of the first session of this Parliament.
Government officials, having successfully won an acrimonious arbitration case between Uganda and Heritage oil in London, were rewarded with a take-home of Shs6 billion by President Museveni which turned controversial.

High-ranking officials would come to the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), struggling to explain the extraordinary role they played to merit the ‘handshake.’
The public would wait in earnest for news about stammering officials and the outrageous admissions the Committee extracted from the key players. There has not been another issue that has displaced the oil cash probe, which has earned itself synonymy with the 10th Parliament. It reinforced the House’s image as a forefront anti-corruption institution. It is this same matter that gave birth to the “stupid judgment,” referring to the Speaker’s statement to a court order by Justice Steven Kavuma to stop Parliament’s oil cash probe.

Age limit uproar
Nakifuma County MP Robert Ssekitoleko nearly brought Parliament to a standstill when he sought the House’s leave to introduce amendments to the Constitution.
Mr Ssekitoleko wanted to have judges’ age-limit amended upwards, although most MPs looked at that as a ploy to introduce a constitutional amendment to remove the age limit.
There was spirited resistance from most MPs and a section of the public which met with a carefully planned Mr Ssekitoleko’s network of support, with wild speculations of intrigue flying around.
Then Ms Rebecca Kadaga broke the camel’s back, sending Mr Ssekitoleko packing with his rushed constitutional amendment.
“Parliament is not a football field that you can just come and kick around; other than experience, I have not seen from the MP’s justification the urgency for us to allow him bring the Bill,” declared the Speaker, extinguishing the debate.
Parliament’s down side has equally been a plate-full, attempting to cloud even the modest achievements realised in the first session.

Unaa conference
There were many ugly twists to the Uganda North America Association convention in Boston, US. First, was the apparent feud between Speaker Kadaga and her deputy, who reportedly led separate delegations each to the convention, leaving no one to steer House proceedings.
Second, the cost involved and photos of splashy MPs that badly rattled the public, with some media outlets alleging the travel cost taxpayers Shs2 billion, a claim vehemently denied by Parliament’s director communications, Mr Chris Obore.
Third, it pitted MPs against each other; others criticising the move while many remained on the defensive.
It finally left a scar on the institution’s image, which painfully laboured to restore public confidence.

Bitter sugar
Sugar enjoys a demi-god stature in Uganda’s politics; if it is not voters asking for it or increase in its prices, drives officials of government into confusion and chaos with growing public disenchantment.
Now came MP Anthony Akol (FDC, Kilak North), alleging that they were offered sugar Shs1m to support Mr Ssekitoleko’s efforts. Anger, rage and counter-accusations engulfed the claims, with threats of a court suit, leaving the MPs and the institution to the ruthless judgment of the public court.

Kayihura endorsement
Parliament’s Appointments Committee, by law, meets and considers all business before it in camera.
That was not the issue; Parliament didn’t announce the vetting at all-still that was not the issue; but the hideous manner in which the MPs literally smuggled in police chief Kale Kayihura.
After the endorsement, the cat and mouse chase resumed, with journalists running around Parliament’s corridors in search of an elusive Gen Kayihura.
That is not all, later on accusations of Gen Kayihura throwing some perks to MPs made rounds in the corridors, but Committee members swore to pulverize anyone who peddled such allegations against them.

Absenteeism
Sights of empty green benches in Parliament remain a permanent, rather an embarrassing portrayal of the legislature.
MPs, perhaps emulating front-bench Cabinet ministers, make an effort to dodge plenary, making the small building accommodate the few faithful, business attending MPs. Four, the number of Bills this Parliament passed in its very first session, against 29 that were indicated by President Museveni in his 2016 State-of-the-Nation address.

In this week’s address to Parliament, President Museveni promised to bring, through the leader of government business, another 37 Bills, we await the new trick the legislature will employ to dispose of all business.
Of the 1,500 planned committee meetings, only 815 were managed; and 46 out of 107 planned plenary sittings were held, reflecting a less than average report card.
Because government business takes precedence and is what forms the main consideration of Parliament, Speaker Kadaga wasted no opportunity to report indolent ministers to the appointing authority – President Museveni. Many a time during the closed session, the Speaker would adjourn the House due to minister’s absence; wouldn’t that bring an opportunity for Private Members’ bills?

Media, Parliament quarrel
The reason was bad publicity, and Parliament saw all reason to summon media editors to appear before its Rules, Privileges and Discipline Committee.
Most editors expectedly snubbed the event, maintaining that the move was intended to gag the media.
The probe, like many others by Parliament, has since taken a one way journey to oblivion, leaving the media and public in a wild guess.
West Budama North’s Marksons Oboth says “we (Parliament) should find our root; one year has been enough for us to learn though I think we did what we were supposed to do.”

Kadaga, Oulanyah feud

Straight from a divisive campaign for the highly coveted job of speakership, the two leaders of the assembly were thought to have buried the hatchet, but not yet.
Both Ms Kadaga and Mr Jacob Oulanyah were pulling the House to different directions, a move analysts attributed to failure to dissolve each camp’s campaign arsenal.
House business was paralysed when the infamous Ssekitoleko request for leave was supposed to be debated.
Ms Kadaga claimed the then House presiding officer (Oulanyah) had not briefed her on what previously transpired, and had expected Mr Oulanyah to chair proceedings.

However, Mr Oulanyah, too, was out of the country and MPs who had readied themselves for the debate had to go home disappointed after the Clerk’s office made an eleventh hour announcement that the House was not sitting after all.
This forced a group of MPs led by Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo to propose a ‘Speakership Commission,’ where five MPs would constitute the panel of Speakers to handle House business.
That feud created confusion in Parliament, making denting the tenth Parliament’s first session.