New districts, NGO Bill, loans on agenda as prisons fill up

Lawmakers have been recalled from recess to come and approve the new districts, The Non-Governmental Organisations Bill, 2015, The Lotteries and Gaming Bill, 2013, pending loan requests and the supplementary schedules I, II and III for financial year 2014/2015.

However, some of the MPs who talked to Parliament Watch vowed not to show up on Tuesday unless they are “fully facilitated”. Each legislator was recently given more than Shs100m in backdated fuel arrears as well as regular mileage allowances.
The MPs have accused the authorities in Parliament of closing eyes to the difficulties they are going through in trying to keep their seats.

Before Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah sent Parliament on recess, he struggled to raise the mandatory quorum to clear the pending business.
The MPs are currently busy in their respective constituencies hunting for votes ahead of the 2016 general election.

However, some of the members who are going to benefit from the creation of 23 new districts are keen to attend the proceedings and they have asked the Speaker to ensure that there is quorum.
Some are busy calling and begging colleagues to show up on Tuesday as was the case for the creation of new municipalities and counties.
Government two weeks ago presented an amended motion seeking to create 23 new districts spread across four financial years.
The government said the new districts seek to bring services closer to the people. Earlier, the Local Government minister had sought to withdraw the creation of 25 districts suggested in 2012, but MPs blocked the move, forcing Cabinet to lift a moratorium on the districts.
Although none of the new districts is expected to start this financial year, the MPs hope to use the House approval of the new districts as a campaign tool in the fourth coming elections. The districts approved by Cabinet to start on July 1, 2016, are; Kagadi; Kakumiro; Omoro and Rubanda.
The new districts to be effective July 1, 2017, are: Namisindwa; Pakwach; Butebo; Rukiga; Kyotera and Bunyangabu. Districts to be effective July 1, 2018, are Nabilatuk; Bugweri; Kasanda; Kwania; Kapelebyong; Kikuube and July 1, 2019, districts are: Obongi; Kazo, Rwampara; Kitagwenda; Kalenga; Madi Okollo and Kalaki.
The headquarters of the new districts will automatically become town councils.
Last week, Tororo County MP Geofrey Ekanya attempted to strangle himself in Parliament, protesting the government’s refusal to give his people a district status. Mr Ekanya, who was accused by Speaker of turning Parliament into a theatre, was restrained by Opposition colleagues.
Following the comedy on the floor, Local Government minister Adolf Mwesige is expected to amend the government motion to create Kwapa and Nagongera districts in Tororo, ending years of disagreements involving the Jopadhola and Iteso.
Currently, Tororo Municipality is shared by the two tribes.

NGO Bill returns
Parliament is also expected to pass the controversial NGO Bill. The Non-Government Organisations Bill, 2015, gives the NGO board powers to refuse to grant a permit to an organisation in what is described as “public interest”, while foreigners seeking to be employed with an NGO operating in Uganda will have to pass through a vetting session at Uganda’s diplomatic missions.
The New York-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, and other local NGO activists have since criticised some provisions in the new law as “vague and undefined” expressing fears that “the obnoxious” provisions in the proposed law might give officials leeway to interpret them “broadly and subjectively”.

The Opposition have since warned that by “criminalising behaviour that is inherently legitimate gags the very essence of the right to freedom of association”.

However, Internal Affairs minister Aronda Nyakairima and some NRM lawmakers told Parliament when the Bill returned for Second Reading recently that the “growth of NGOs has led to subversive methods of work and activities which in turn undermine accountability and transparency in the sector”.

In PAC
Although Speaker had sent Parliament on recess to allow members prepare for the coming elections, the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee did not break. The committee is currently handling the Auditor General’s report for financial year 2013/14. On Thursday, Mr Simon Kimono, the accounting officer for prisons department, appeared before the committee to answer the audit queries under Uganda Prison Services.
The committee queried the accumulation of arrears to a tune of Shs46 billion. The officials failed to defend the expenditure as lawmakers questioned the weak internal commitment control systems. The other issue of national concern was on the congestion in the various prisons across the country. Prisons are so congested that inmates stand up most of the time, and take turns to lie down to sleep.
PAC heard that out of 45,092 prisoners in the country, 28,575 are not accommodated, thus increasing the risks of prisoners escape, poor hygiene, diseases and rampant strikes as prisoners continue scampering for little resources.
According to lawmakers on the Public Accounts Committee, overcrowding in prisons, as well as related problems such as lack of privacy, can also cause or exacerbate mental health problems, and increase rates of violence, self-harm and suicide.
Uganda Prisons Service has experienced an increase in the prisoners’ population since the merger and takeover of 174 local administration prisons in 2006, from a daily average of 19,179 prisoners in 2006 to 39,844 prisoners by January 2014.

However, the latest information provided by Mr Kimono shows that the number of prisoners has since increased to 45,092 with a housing capacity of 16,517, meaning 28,575 are not accommodates and in trying to improvise, according to MPs, they sleep while standing. Mr Kimono blames it on underfunding.

Mr Kimono said congestion of prisons is a major challenge facing prisons due to population increase against accommodation facilities.
He said majority of prisons require expansion/upgrade, major overhauls, renovations, and reconstruction.

“The problem of prisons congestion is caused by high prisoner population growth of 10 per cent per annum which is not matched with accommodation requirements,” he added.

While these conditions are uniform throughout the country, the MPs said congestion in the 247 prisons raises concern and needs to be addressed through prison reform.

MPs said overcrowding undermines the ability of prison systems to meet basic human needs, such as healthcare, food and accommodation.