Live Updates from Parliament: Uganda Parliament reopens

5:30pm: Tinkasimire says the anti-gays Bill is overdue because the spirit of his ancestors tells him that they lived without this practices, says he hears government saying when we pass the anti-gays Bill, we shall loose the donor’s money. We can’t afford to stay with such ills in our society and when it comes before the floor, we shall all pass it and support it.

• Speaker says all reports not discussed in the Eighth Parliament will also be brought through a motion and discussed, passed or amended.

• Epetait says the Pharmacy Bill was handled and committee of social services sent it back to the Ministry for re-drafting, so it shouldn’t be on the list.

5:12pm: • Dr Sam Lyomoki says an amendment be included that says ‘any other Bills’ because there could be some others left behind by the motion movers, and they are in the committees.
• Katuntu says Bills come to the House through readings and that when they do come for the first reading; they are committed to the committees relevant. He says as of now we don’t have those Bills and they can’t be brought into the House through a motion.
• Speaker says she has done research in the India and House of commons & in Canada, and that is the method they used.

• Dr Sam Lyomoki says an amendment be included that says ‘any other Bills’ because there could be some others left behind by the motion movers, and they are in the committees.
• Katuntu says Bills come to the House through readings and that when they do come for the first reading; they are committed to the committees relevant. He says as of now we don’t have those Bills and they can’t be brought into the House through a motion
• Speaker says she has done research in the India and House of commons & in Canada, and that is the method they used

5:00pm: 5pm debate on oil closed and House goes to item number 7 on the order paper.
• Lt Col Sara Mpabwa moves a motion to save the Bills left un- debated by the Eighth Parliament. Her motion is seconded by Ayena Cryspus.

• Some of the bills are;
• Anti-Money Laundering Bill 2009
• Narcotics Bill 2007
• Regional governments bill 2009
• Transfer of convicted offenders Bill 2007
• Geographical Bill 2006
• Government assurances Bill 2008
• Anti homosexuality bill 2009

• Shuttles security Bill 2009
• Companies bill 2009
• Marriage and divorce 2009
• Prohibition of torture Bill 2010
• Plant protection & health Bill l2010
• Hiv/Aids prevention 2010
• Pharmacy professional and 2006
• UNBS Amendment Bill 2010

• Counterfeit bill 2011

• Dr Epetait says having many new members in Ninth parliament, it gets hard for new MPs to start learning the contents of the Bills. He proposes that ministers concerned table the Bills afresh for first reading
• Speaker rules that reports of the 8th parliament will be used as working documents and the committees will re-handle the Bills, if the Parliament agrees that we save them.

4:50pm: Abdu Katuntu says a closer scrutiny shows same handwriting, same pen from 2006- to 2011 “and it looks like they were written same day”. He says it looks like someone sat one day and started writing these manual receipts.
• Ekanya says when using EFT, banks ask how much time you want the money moved…we need to know if the movement of the money from one account to another in the same bank was for two weeks.. Because if you just hold foreign currency for 24 hours and benefit from it even 0.01 profit, it’s very much money.

• Ekanya asks why the money was converted immediately to UgShs yet it wasn’t needed immediately.
• Frank Tumwebaze takes to the floor saying credit sometimes should be given where it’s due. He says last year he presented a report on income tax amendments---thoroughly on oil to enable government collect oil. We faced a lot of resistance on this floor with some of our colleagues asking the need for rush.

• He says we must thank government for collecting the taxes, even before the laws are in place.
• He says the concerns of the opposition MPs, are relevant because the House empowered the office of the Auditor General. “We shouldn’t be skeptical of everything. We should now be asking what other procedures we shall make to get more money out of this.”
• He says government should explain if the proposals on arbitration of oil companies be looked at- and he thanked the Ministry of Finance for bringing the statement
• Rapheal Magezi takes to the floor and also thanks Finance for the statement given on revenues…clearly we now all know what was collected from oil revenues.

• He says he has 2 comments regarding royalties. He says Minister said we have no loyalties since production hasn’t started. He proposes that government puts an appropriate policy regarding loyalties & how sharing will be done
• He says regarding expenditure, Kiwanuka explains the Shs8.4bn for Karuma. He says he is thankful but the data is inadequate because the oil debate resolution number 6 required that Minister gives a statement of all expenditures…I seek if she can expand on the statement to bring the details of the resolutions

• Speaker calls Ministers, says you gave a partial statement- “when are you going to complete it because we are still bound by the resolutions.”

• Kiwanuka says she appreciates the questions raised by Parliament. She says the accounts came from BoU that money has been there since then. She also explains that capital gains tax is paid on resources which are quantifiable.