Oulanyah hits at CSOs over ‘arm chair talk’

Parliament. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has accused civil society actors of lacking constructive ideas that can contribute to nation building.

“We are tired of these arm chair people who are so good at making criticisms, so good at pointing fingers except at taking an assessment of what they have been able to contribute positively towards shaping what should go into the management to this country,” Mr Oulanyah said during a stakeholders dialogue at Parliament yesterday.

His outburst was in response to several civil society leaders, including Mr Godber Tumushabe, the executive director for the Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies, who accused Parliament of failing on its constitutional mandate by succumbing to pressures from the Executive.

Referring to the passing of the Constitution Amendment Bill, Mr Tumushabe accused Parliament of targeting constitutional safeguards to promulgate dictatorship instead of harnessing good governance.

However, the Deputy Speaker accused civil society of only venturing in political trivialities to get public applause. The dialogue was organised as part of the activities to mark the ongoing annual Parliament Week.

Dr Margaret Sekaggya, the executive director of the Human Rights Centre-Uganda, said Parliament has failed to exploit its immunity to legislate for the people and that its members have instead surrendered to the whips of their political parties.

Mr Francis Gimara, the president of the Uganda Law Society, added that people’s voices have been sold to dominant party caucuses.

However, Mr Oulanyah said next time, Parliament would not invite “eloquent speakers who lack constructive direction to Parliament.”

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