Envoys, Kadaga discuss Kasese raid

Kampala. Sixteen ambassadors accredited to Kampala yesterday met and discussed with the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, a raft of issues key among which were the delayed ruling on the Constitution Amendment Bill, Parliament’s investigation into the attack on the Rwenzururu palace and the format of the LC elections.

The British High Commissioner, Mr Peter West, asked Ms Kadaga to give an assessment of measures unveiled by President Museveni in an address to Parliament last week as the solution to the recent wave of killings that left the country living on the edge.

Mr West asked how Parliament will handle some of the measures since they have a bearing on the budget.
The Speaker said money will have to be mobilised to fund the measures which include fingerprinting of guns and installation of electronic number plates on cars.

“If we feel security is important, we can make arrangements to get that money. I think if we are concerned sufficiently, we can address it. I think we need to make a choice between security and carrying out other services, I do not want to speculate where it will come from,” Ms Kadaga said.
Asked by Germany ambassador Albrecht Conze about the attack on Parliament by security operatives during the chaotic debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill that removed age limits, Ms Kadaga said she has since implemented security reforms at the House.

“I believe you recall that the High Court was invaded some years back, I do not think you can ask the Chief Justice what happened. If you are invaded, you are invaded. But what I have done here is to eject any forces that are not civilian police,” she said.

Asked by French ambassador Stephanie Rivoal over the status of investigations by Parliament’s Defence Committee into the raid by security forces on the November 2016 Rwenzururu attack that left more than 50 people dead, the Speaker promised to have the report out.
“By October, we shall know the outcome of this. It is on schedule, I am just waiting for the Bills to get out of the way and then the reports,” Ms Kadaga said.

Ms Kadaga declined to respond to questions regarding the delay by the Constitutional Court, saying it is being handled by another branch of government.

The Uganda Code of Judicial Conduct gives court 60 days to deliver a judgment that has been put on notice from the date of concluding the hearing but the Constitutional Court has failed to beat the two-month deadline in which it was expected to deliver the judgment in the presidential age limit case.

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