Slow, quiet start as 322 MPs shun Parliament after chaos
Unlike the last three chaotic sittings, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Thursday presided over an almost empty Parliament with only 127 out of 449 legislators in attendance. PHOTOS BY ALEX ESAGALA
What you need to know:
- Today's business kicked off with many members heaping praises on the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga for handling the house business on Wednesday.
It was a quiet atmosphere at Parliament on Thursday as MPs turned up for the afternoon sitting just a day after 25 of their colleagues were arrested amidst chaos.
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga on Wednesday suspended 25 members of Parliament for instigating chaos which led to the suspension of the plenary sitting on Tuesday.
Chaos, however, ensued as the suspended MPs refused to vacate the Chambers. It was at this point that security forces stormed into parliament as the House descended into unprecedented chaos and forcefully removed the suspended MPs, with some sustaining injuries in the process. They were bundled on waiting police vans and detained at various police stations in and around Kampala Metropolitan area.
Only 127 out 449 MPs attended today's sitting. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA
After the chaos, Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi was able to present a motion seeking leave of parliament to draft a constitutional amendment to repeal Article 102(b) of the constitution which puts 35 and 75 as lower and upper caps respectively on the presidential age.
The opposition MPs are opposed to Mr Magyezi's move saying it is meant to extend President Museveni's rule beyond 2021 when he will be above 75 years of age.
Shortly before MP Magyezi tabled his motion, the remaining opposition legislators, led by their leader and Kasese Woman MP Winnie Kiiza, walked out. Earlier today they announced that they would all stay away from Parliament for three sittings in solidarity with their colleagues who were suspended for the same number of sittings.
At Parliament it was a slow start of business today in contrast to the past three sittings. Plenary was officially supposed to start at 2:00pm, but by 3:00 pm, only a few Members of Parliament were in the house.
At 2:00pm, there were 30 MPs out of the official 449 Members. On Thursday last week, and Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the Chambers were full by 2:00 pm, thanks to the charged atmosphere generated by the presidential age limit debate.
At the time security forces stormed the Chambers on Wednesday, for instance, there were 275 Members just 30 minutes into the sitting.
MPs stand up to welcome Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to the chambers ahead of the debate on the motion to lift the presidential age limit on September 27, 2017. At the beginning of the session, the House was full to capacity with both the ruling NRM and the Opposition legislators in attendance. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA
However, by the start of business on Thursday, only 127 out of 449 legislators attended Parliament.
Today's business kicked off with many members heaping praises on the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga for handling the house business on Wednesday.
Buzaya County MP Isaac Musumba moved a motion appreciating the manner in which Kadaga steered the sitting amidst chaos. He was seconded by Usuk County MP Peter Ogwang.
But the singing, clapping and wearing of red ribbons, which had become a trademark for the opposition legislators over the last three sittings, are lacking today.
