House business suspended as ministers dodge plenary

Time check, 2.18pm, Thursday and Members of Parliament are snailing their way into the chambers for plenary.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga arrives, but only three members of Cabinet not directly relevant to the budget process turn up.
Last Wednesday, Ms Kadaga had recalled the House from the budget recess to consider and pass several tax legislations proposed by government through Finance minister Matia Kasaija.
Junior Finance minister David Bahati, an indefatigable lieutenant to his boss Kasaija, came in handy on Wednesday and set in motion the process of considering the varied proposed tax legislations.
But on Thursday, the five Finance ministers; Kasaija (the senior minister), Bahati (Planning), Haruna Kyeyune (Microfinance), Anite Evelyn (Privatisation) and Gabriel Ajedra (General duties) were all absent, paralysing business.
Known for ending way after sunset, Speaker Kadaga on Thursday suddenly adjourned the House just about an hour into proceedings, blaming the “owners of the Bill” – the Finance ministers – for being neglectful.
“I must express my disappointment with the government; I called the House yesterday so that we could facilitate the budget process by handling the tax Bills. But the owners of the Bill are not here, so I want to adjourn the House sine die,” Ms Kadaga ruled.

Empty front bench
Just like that and House was ended because the front bench was nearly empty, a practice that has undermined and bogged down business since most of what Parliament conducts is government business.
While MPs are on the receiving end of criticism on failure to attend business, it is such wanton absenteeism that renders Parliament a non-starter, thanks to the weaknesses in coordination of government’s parliamentary undertakings.
The proposed legislations are intended to provide the legal regime that will give effect to the proposed taxes on gaming and lotteries, among a raft of other tax amendments.
It remains unclear what exceptional diplomacy the Finance ministers are going to employ to assuage Ms Kadaga to again recall the House soonest as time is running out.

Enter the Electoral Commission. With the newly appointed team headed by Justice Simon Byabakama, the officials entered Parliament’s Budget Committee to make a case for staff salary increment.
Many years, they said, has passed with their salary refusing to stretch upwards, an issue Mr Byabakama said poses integrity and ethical challenges to poorly remunerated returning officers.
“In the general election, this returning officer is managing election of many candidates; now when you give him Shs800,000, they will leave integrity issues,” said Justice Byabakama.
He appealed to the committee for a raise in the commission’s wage bill from the current Shs8 billion to Shs40 billion.
Kabula County’s James Kakooza asked committee members to reduce funding to political parties and reallocate the money to the Electoral Commission.

“I think we can cut the Shs10 billion for the political parties, they can stay without money, after all they are in disarray,” proposed Mr Kakooza, to prolonged laughter from MPs.
Nyabushozi County’s Fred Mwesigye said: “We have reached a consensus that the EC needs money,” adding that the committee will “look at wasteful areas and cut, especially government agencies”.
The previous commissions endured the salary shortage for more than 18 years, but the new team is determined to have an increment.
In the same meeting, EC secretary Sam Rwakoojo said there is no money to organise LC elections. Can they soldier on with the current pay and instead have the money to hold the elections already?
The Jinja Road-based officials need to do some soul searching and put to rest this lingering LC elections question.

Incompetent chair?
The divisive tax expenditure debate brought storm to the usually mild Budget Committee again, with free falling accusations of connivance and incompetence against committee vice chairperson Ignatius Wamakuyu (NRM, Elgon), who was sitting in for Mr Amos Lugoloobi (NRM, Ntenjeru South), the substantive chair.
MPs engaged in a shouting match with Mr Wamakuyu, especially with Kassanda North’s Patrick Nsamba.
“When you go to the meeting and members are shouting, it means the chairperson is incompetent,” shouted a standing, agitated Mr Nsamba, pointing fingers directly at Mr Wamakuyu.
Buyaga West’s Barnabas Tinkasiimire was blunter in his accusation, after he was angered by Mr Wamakuyu’s proposal that the committee “can only seek the explanation on the tax expenditure on the floor of Parliament”.
“You are not going to present that report; we are warning you, we are intimidating you; you are not going to present this and you are attempting to threaten members; you, you you,” yelled Mr Tinkasiimire, also standing.
“You come and handle the meeting; I am not a populist; you are known for disrupting meetings,” said a subdued Mr Wamakuyu, ending the meeting.

Amidst the fracas, a bespectacled Uganda People’s Defence Forces representative, Col Felix Kulayigye remained glued to his seat, reading a newspaper.
Looking Mr Wamakuyu straight into his face, Nakasongola Woman MP Margaret Komuhangi said Mr Wamakuyu will be left to his own devices should he ever make a report likely to favour companies benefitting from the exemptions.
“We shall abandon you,” a plain-speaking Ms Komuhangi told Mr Wamakuyu.
In the Legal and Parliamentary affairs Committee, Parliament this week presented their budget, but at least not without a contestation.
A journalist inside the committee was ejected by Kampala Central’s Muhammad Nsereko because “this is an internal meeting”.
Committee chairperson Jacob Oboth Oboth later apologised for the incidence, saying “Nsereko acted on his own and it was not the position of the committee. We apologise for that”.

They shortly thereafter allowed journalists in the meeting, where commissioner Peter Ogwang (NRM, Usuk) made a case for construction of new Parliament chambers, a proposal the committee approved but whose implementation is bogged down by lack of money.
Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality) supported the move, claiming that MPs line up to access places of convenience in turn.
What is contained in the Parliament budget that shouldn’t be seen by journalists yet the policy statements of all ministries are actually availed to journalists by Parliament?
This suspicion serves to sow mistrust and the MPs should, if their budget is defensible, put it on table for scrutiny like other government agencies and departments.