Judging from the pall of silence and the boredom in Parliament, particularly on the opening day, I am not sure whether members got time for introspection, a crucial ingredient in the life of any serious leader.

Time for action. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Doors to the Parliamentary Chambers opened on Tuesday for the first time in five weeks. The MPs refreshed, connected with their constituents, those who went to Kyankwanzi retreat mulled over the endemic challenges facing Uganda today and I presume they are ready for another round of political gamesmanship in the House.

Judging from the pall of silence and the boredom in Parliament, particularly on the opening day, I am not sure whether members got time for introspection, a crucial ingredient in the life of any serious leader. As Myrko Thum, the author of “Personal Development that Transforms”, argues, self-reflection is one of the best methods to resolve inner conflict and gain clarity for yourself.

When MPs become aware of their failures, weaknesses, strengths, the things that are holding the country back and then tackle them by finding effective solutions, they can be relevant to the people they represent in the House.

It has been an action-packed recess - resplendent with endless drama - the good, the bad and the ugly. If this was a film based on the tales of “idiots” and “fools” in the House, then the supposition would be more or less a play which shows how sometimes wrong can triumph over right in the fight against corruption, how sometimes good acts do go unrewarded and most importantly, how good intentions are sometimes misconstrued for political reasons. In our Parliament, what you read on people’s faces is not always in their hearts.

The bungling of the political watershed has pitted the Executive against Parliament and the Speaker against the outspoken backbenchers. On account of the politics surrounding the death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda, lobby journalists, as well as the outspoken legislators had predicted a rousing opening day of the House. But things turned out differently on Tuesday. There was total silence in the House. The rest of that opening day and the days that followed, with exception of Thursday, were a blur.

As I left the boring chamber on Tuesday, I caught up with a group of senior members backbiting Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. They asked for my view, but I chose to be a listening post. From their discussion, it became apparent that they were not happy with the way the Speaker handled the first sitting of the House in the New Year. Some gazed in awe with dejected looks, speculating what might have happened to the “iron lady”.

They were angry that she did not allow members to debate the arrest of their colleagues. That she opted for silence as if nothing had happened.
One of the female MPs from Western Uganda faulted the Speaker for showing perilous signs of defeat in the ‘battle’ to defend the institution of Parliament from the ‘visible’ hand of the Executive.

That, instead of clarifying on why she blocked the petition to discuss the challenges to the separation of powers and the rule of law in the country, she tactically focused on “football” and “netball”. To cut a long story short, these MPs concluded that the “dark forces” are casting spells on Ms Kadaga and that she had been “tamed”.

At some point I was compelled to focus the debate on whether or not Parliament is now under the influence of a spell that prevents members from talking about the challenges our people face. I made it clear to these members that the Speaker’s Office could be part of our frivolous politics, but she is not the real problem.

I told them that the power that makes a spell work is not found in Ms Kadaga, the real power that makes a spell work dwells within MPs themselves. Parliament can still be effective without picking fights with the Executive. The double-dealers in the House are the problem: The MPs, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Our members should be honest, organised, open-minded and pro-people in playing their oversight roles.

The significance of an impending motion on the ping-pong between the Executive and Parliament, notwithstanding, Parliament needs to assess it’s relevance in a democracy. Unless Parliament identifies what is making this institution irrelevant, we are in danger of becoming a House of ridicule.

Lamentations without any practical recommendations cannot influence action. In the end, if members don’t act on their weaknesses in following up on the resolutions they make, questions to government, pending petitions and bills and statements from ministers, I’m afraid, we may end up with a “misguided missile”.

At a time like this, Ugandans expect a fresh Parliament to have fresh ideas on how to assist the Executive in dealing with the endemic challenges facing our country.

For God’s sake! How can a national Parliament waste time debating an outdated report on the state of the economy? The report presented by Kagoma MP Fredrick Nkayi Mbagadi as well as the debate itself did not make sense to Ugandans. It had already been overtaken by events. This was history yet Ugandans want a Parliament which is in touch with reality.

We are in the last half of the financial year; a useful Committee report would be assessing the performance of the budget/economy in the first half of 2012/13 financial year. Clearly, this report, which in many ways is a façade of growing deception in the House, says a lot about the quality of our MPs and their contribution to finding solutions to the problems Ugandans face.

Laziness
It is sheer laziness if not lack of fresh ideas for Parliament to waste time discussing the performance of the economy in 2011/12. This is not how Parliament should be doing the oversight role. The issue is not about presenting reports, it’s about improving service delivery.

House returns. When Parliament loses its teeth, it ceases to act as a true watchdog of the government in power, then, that government is free to act without ramifications.

There is this famous proverb: When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In our African context, this proverb is used regularly to describe leaders whose disputes and divisions end up hurting innocent people. The good thing about this adage is its hands-on gist that humorously fits in very well with our politics - the tiff between Parliament and the Executive.

For the record, this week’s column is not about denigrating the institution of Parliament in a democracy. It’s about the tales of fraudulence in a toothless Parliament - full of yes-men and women whose preoccupation is egotistic in a sense that tittle-tattle takes precedence over the needs of the people.

Fresh from a five-week recess, Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday to deal with the unfinished business. The politics surrounding the botched petition to recall the House to discuss the antics of a heavy-handed Executive is expected to recur as the country recovers from the controversial death of former Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga is expected to explain her decision to block the petition. I hope Ms Kadaga does not open debate on this matter, for if she does, we are certainly going to have a showdown over the arrest of outspoken legislators. But as I have indicated here before, in trying to resolve the disagreements between the Speaker and the petitioners, it is important that the politics is fixed without damaging the stature of the institution.

Then, we have the “misplaced” coup debate. At first I thought it was an attempt by some politicians to white-wash the “Nebandagate”. Whichever way you look at this threat, from the unequivocal words of the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, it’s apparent that the military is perhaps considering grabbing power. God forbid. While many Ugandans agree that the coup debate is unreasoned and inconsistent with our Constitution, the warning was targeting the outspoken politicians in Parliament.

This threat bares the hallmarks of blackmail that seeks to make Parliament spineless. Therefore, I salute the senior army officers led by Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Brig. Kasirye Ggwanga and others, who came out strongly to condemn the coup talk. I hope, Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga, who started this hopeless debate will be asked to restate on the floor of Parliament, what he meant by saying that the army was watching events in Parliament and that there was a possibility of a takeover should politicians continue “not showing seriousness” to solve the problems facing the country.

The fight between Parliament and the Executive is about the separation of powers. But it will be unfortunate if the two institutions and our leaders fail to read the signs of time. Ugandans do not eat politics; the country needs urgent solutions to the crises we are facing today. Certain issues will not present immediate solutions, and the disagreements can only be resolved if Parliament and the Executive cherish the need for self-reflection - looking at the bigger picture: Strengthening institutions.

I doubt whether we are all unable to perceive effective solutions to what is holding us back. I know sometimes, people feel stuck, frustrated, angry, and disillusioned. As a result, they might either dig their heels deeper, anchoring themselves into extreme and rigid positions, or they might decide to go silent and simply watch on the sidelines. So, in trying to address the challenges we face as Ugandans, it’s going to be dangerous if Parliament becomes spineless.

Ugandans need better services such as pension reforms, drugs in hospitals, jobs for idle graduates, good roads, a serious fight against corruption in government and private offices, education reforms—starting with the delayed students loan scheme, attracting teachers and doctors, particularly in the hard-to- reach areas of Uganda and increasing funding to the agricultural sector, among other reforms needed to transform our economy.

By focusing on winners and losers in the endless political games, we seem to forget that the impasse represents a turning point in our efforts to negotiate a solution to the conflict. As such, rather than avoiding or dreading it, criticism should be viewed with calmness, patience, and respect. The ability of Parliament to hold government accountable for its actions, has been lost in the process.

The government is no longer in hurry to ensure better services to the people, and Parliament is no longer the voice of the voiceless and the poor. I just hope this time our MPs, their political differences notwithstanding, can wake up and pick up the pieces before it’s too late.

Parliament is not all about filling seats; it’s a serious place where wise men and women in society discuss matters of the state. Parliament, as a freely elected body, holds a central place in any democracy.

Religion teaches us the discipline of self-reflection as an integral part of human success. In his book: “Ten Principles of Universal Wisdom”, Ryuho Okawa, a famous Japanese writer, states that as human beings, we have brilliantly-shining souls. Just as diamond accumulates dirt if it is neglected, our souls certainly collect filth and grime. This is why we are supposed to refine our own souls, and this is actually our spiritual discipline.

Although someone else could wash your physical body, Okawa argues that only you can cleanse your own soul; that you are responsible for polishing it.

Therefore, if MPs can reflect on what they have done since May 2011 when they took office, with a pure heart, they will be able to wipe out all the records that have been written as losses.

ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com

House reforms. The wheel of change moves on and those who were down go up and those who were up go down. Likewise, in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks - Jawaharlal Nehr and Warren Buffett.

Like a ship sailing out on a misty trip, so bumpy and so long, far from the seashore and far away from home, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga finds herself in the eye of the storm. In trying to live up to her inaugural promise to be “a just judge”, Ms Kadaga, the most revered political figure in the House, is seemingly trapped in the murky world of our frivolous politics.

For blocking the petition to recall the House from recess to discuss the separation of powers, rule of law and constitutionalism, Ms Kadaga has been labelled “a spineless Speaker” and called all sorts of things. The lawyers said by allowing some MPs to withdraw signatures, she set a terrible precedent. Others said Ms Kadaga was following “orders from above” and that as one of the card-holding leaders of the ruling party; she was under obligation to obey. I am told the former Speaker, James Wapakhabulo (RIP), made a different ruling on withdrawing signatures, but this was ignored.

The politics aside, to protect the integrity of Parliament, the petitioners resolved to petition the Constitutional Court for legal interpretation. Having said that, those who followed the politics in Ms Kadaga’s election will agree with me when I differ with some political commentators who have called this woman a “coward”. If, indeed, she was faint-hearted, she wouldn’t have weathered the storm that bordered her candidature. A friend in government told me last year that the feeling in the Cabinet was that Ms Kadaga had “jumped the gun”. Mr Kiwanuka Ssekandi was their ideal candidate for the job though God had other plans for him.

Even before the NRM MPs went to State House, Entebbe, to select the Speaker of the Ninth Parliament, Ms Kadaga was already a darling of many. In a private chat with friends in government, it became clear to me that in the eyes of ministers, Kadaga was no more than an opposition sympathiser. But her progressive approach to issues in the Seventh and eighth Parliaments, patriotism and dependability explain why some opposition lawmakers voted for Ms Kadaga and not Mr Nandala Mafabi, the opposition challenger. Ms Kadaga’s landslide victory reflected the public feelings. Ugandans wanted an independent Parliament, with a valiant speaker, who could tell the king that he is naked.

Many Ugandans had given up on the previous spineless Parliament. Mr Ssekandi had some accomplishments, but his failure to stand up on corruption is partly the reason why the vice is unrelenting. But in trying to change this situation, Ms Kadaga and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah needs to be reminded that the honeymoon is over.

If we agree that by changing nothing, nothing changes, then, it is time for us to change our garments and be clean. The petition has collapsed and the petitioners should forget the recall and move on. But looking forward, Ms Kadaga’s ruling should be an opportunity for members across the political divide to stop calculating which way is safest to jump and effect the amendments to the Constitution and the rules of procedure to make the Speaker’s office independent in its real sense.
It has not been easy for Ms Kadaga but with the public, the allies in the Parliamentary Commission and responsive backbenchers across the political spectrum on her side, she has a big shoulder to lean on.

Political impartiality

As I have already told some members, the problem is not Ms Kadaga; it’s the loopholes in the rules of procedure and our unwillingness to follow the practices in serious democracies. Those who think Ms Kadaga can “go to war” with her party chairman are mistaken. She will certainly be tough on some things in the House, but on others, where the party chairman has an interest, she will be required to conform. No one can serve two masters. Either Ms Kadaga, or any other speaker, will offend public interest or please the party with majority in the House. This is not seeking an Utopia, partisan politics will always remain but the Speaker’s office could be removed from the bickering.

Ms Kadaga does not want us to believe that there was political pressure exerted on her but from the underground meetings she had with the President, to allow a special sitting of the House would require an independent speaker - the one who does not have apologies to make. Until we effect the crucial amendments to the Rules of Procedure, more controversial decisions will continue to be made and because the NRM controls the majority in the House, the independence of Parliament will remain a crazy dream. This political gamesmanship we see in the House these days has demeaned the office of the Speaker and further eroded the dignity of Parliament.

We all have things we need to change in the Constitution and in the Rules of Procedure of Parliament and today we start out by talking about the Speaker’s office.
As the case in the House of Commons, the mother of all parliaments, a Speaker must be politically impartial. On election; the new speaker must resign from his or her political party and remain separate from political issues even in retirement. However, the speaker will deal with their constituents’ problems like a normal MP.

The speaker is the chief officer and highest authority of the House and must remain politically impartial at all times. To achieve such a goal it is therefore necessary to provide safeguards against politically inspired interference, which is making Parliament ludicrous in the eyes of Ugandans.

This will ensure sovereignty of Parliament and the chief executive will be constrained to uphold the constitutional equilibrium between the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary.

Let’s not forget that in a reality, a fair and impartial Speaker is fundamental to the proper functioning of any democratic parliament. A speaker, free of the pressures of party affiliation, can conduct the affairs of parliament without fear or favour, free from directions from the government or attacks of bias.

Ugandans are supportive of a strong and independent speaker as a means of returning greater accountability to Parliament. The reluctance of governments, therefore to even consider it must be a matter of public concern.

ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com

From Kyankwanzi: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that - Martin Luther King, Jr.

A bit of throat-clearing to begin with: One of the “rebels” in Parliament last week invoked one of the best known stories in the Gospel to explain the current political storm in the ruling party. His story goes like this: And suddenly a gale arose on the Sea of Galilee, so great that the boat was being swamped by the dangerous waves; but the captain was asleep. Then his followers awoke him, yelling, “Captain, save us! We are perishing!” Eventually, the captain arose in the middle of the storm and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

In addressing President Museveni, the party chairman, whom he accused of harassing party members who criticise his government, Mr Godfrey Kiwanda (Mityana North) used the Gospel of Jesus as it was told in Mark 4: 35-41 and Mathew 14:22-33 to call for a cease-fire in the handling of the political storm in the party. Unfortunately, it seems those who went to Kyankwanzi for “renewal” either misunderstood Mr Kiwanda’s views or simply chose to pour scorn on him for political reasons. I am told the Caucus wants Mr Kiwanda and Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze removed from the Buganda grouping.

Well, by endorsing the disciplinary measures against the five outspoken legislators, the NRM party is trying to treat symptoms of more serious problems within the party. The “indiscipline” is just the body’s effort to get our attention, telling us that it needs help to correct underlying conditions of imbalance, which, if left to continue, will develop into severe conditions. The question is, what have we been doing wrong that is causing the “body” to complain? The symptom is not the problem; it is our friend.

First, for speaking out on the government’s failures, particularly in the area of service delivery, NRM MPs Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central), Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga West) and Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara) cannot be called saboteurs. The party leadership has a duty to highlight the need for reconciliation, and putting in place practical and responsive mechanisms for addressing the causes of “indiscipline” among some Members of Parliament, will make sense.

The impudence in Parliament is not an isolated political episode. These “rebels” are the manifestation of lack of collectivity, public trust and confidence in the handling of public affairs. This is why the Kyankwanzi retreat should have focused on how to improve the service delivery. There is need for the party to rethink its politics. I doubt whether the “bad boys” speak for themselves. These MPs speak for millions of Ugandans, who are stuck in abject poverty and those struggling to put food on the table because of the unhindered theft in government.
Last October, Gen. David Sejusa penned a public letter to the Daily Monitor, warning against the “creeping lawlessness, impunity, primitive arrogance and insensitive behaviour” among “some actors who manage the affairs of the State”.

All these are serious issues, which must be discussed in a candid retreat. It’s okay to punish the “bad boys” but when you look at the bigger picture, this line of thinking fails the reconciliation test.

Secondly, for criticising President Museveni, and going against the “party positions” in Parliament, the outspoken MPs have been labelled “bad boys”. But if we may pose a question here, is there anything like party line? I am not talking about the bush war ideals — the Ten-Point Programme - the discussion is about the undocumented ideology the President normally talks about. The NRM leadership should stop being ambiguous on the principles the core the NRM party stands for. There is a clear distinction between individual visions and the ideals of a political party.
Isolation as an option

If the party opts for isolation, dismissing the “bad boys” is unlikely to impart the kind of discipline we see in Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Party of the Revolution), South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Dominant political parties have internal weaknesses, but in trying to inculcate discipline among cadres, they only reprimand “rebels” in breach of specific principles. The CCP runs the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which is separate from ordinary Chinese law enforcement and courts.

This is so powerful that it is feared by crooked cadres. This arrangement has resulted in successful investigation and prosecution of a number of corrupt cadres, including some very powerful party officials.

It was wrong for the Kyankwanzi retreat to focus on gagging outspoken members at the price of the endemic challenges the country is facing today. My understanding of a caucus retreat of a governing party is that it should not just be seen trying to act, but it should be a viable think-tank for the nation. Every time the NRM goes to Kyankwanzi for a retreat, they are fire-fighting. Last October, it was about an economy in a shamble. While the growth is not felt in peoples’ pockets as a result of the rampant corruption, statistically, the double-digit inflation has since reduced to a single digit.

House on fire
This time, the House is on fire. But in trying to put out the fire, the NRM leaders forget that it is challenging for belching people to talk to politicians about discipline when their voters are yawning. It’s also difficult to tell people to toe a none-existent party line; to exercise faith in time of political uncertainty, and about their real safety in apparent peril; but it is another, and a far better thing for the NRM leader to be clear on the ideals of the party. The absence of consensus values in the NRM has created confusion in the governance structures, fusing the State and the party. The result is the endless rumbling between the Executive and Parliament, stifling service delivery in the process.

The funny politics we see today has created suspicion from some members that the arrest of critical members could be linked to party discipline and not about Cerinah Nebanda’s death. For instance, why should the Cabinet discuss party discipline?

This is not right. We will get time and deal with Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s antics in the handling of the petitition to recall the House and President Museveni’s “timid” ministers.
For now, the party code of conduct and the unflinching NRM rules of procedure must be linked to the party ideals, otherwise, the way things are, in trying to demonise the “bad boys”, the NRM party seems to be winking in the dark.

ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com

With respect. For the record, this week’s column is not in any way intended to ridicule Cerinah Nebanda’s ghost, not even the feelings of the people of Butaleja District whose “lovely flower” was nipped in the bud. It’s about a daring ghost fighting alongside the outspoken MPs in trying to salvage the glory of an institution, full of chameleons.

The late Nebanda died last month under suspicious circumstances. She died at the age of 24, inking her name in our history books as the youngest legislator to die in office. The government’s disputed autopsy and toxicology report linked her death to narcotic drugs. This kind of inference riled Nebanda’s family, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and various MPs who insist that the death of their colleague hides a much sinister reality.

In all this drama, the blocking of an independent post-mortem into the cause of Nebanda’s death and the arrest of some MPs over their comments on the death of their colleague appear to have inflamed the already fluid situation. The extent of a bungled crisis is the public spat between the Executive and Parliament and now the disagreement between the President and the Speaker.

The Onzivua saga
In the ambiguities of narcotic drugs, the allegations that Dr Sylvester Onzivua, a pathologist hired by Parliament, connived with some MPs to steal body samples, the arrest of Nebanda’s boyfriends - Adam Musa Musuba and Adam Suleiman Kalungi, the President’s pejorative remarks, denigrating as “idiots” and “fools” the people accusing his government of killing Nebanda, the battle over House recall for a special sitting and the latest is that Nebanda’s ghost wants to go to Kyankwanzi for the ruling party retreat next week.

In the unfolding drama, we will get time and deal with Kyankwanzi politics, but let’s hope this time the outspoken NRM MPs don’t walk out on their leader as they did last year when he attempted to malign the institution of Parliament in the infamous oil debate.

Unfortunately, even after Parliament passed a key resolution to halt the signing of all the new oil contracts until the favourable laws were put in place, the President went ahead and authorised Tullow’s $2.9 billion farm-out deal with Cnooc and Total. In what looks like a slap in Kadaga’s face, the President even “swaggers” in front of TV cameras, telling Ugandans how he gave Parliament a bloody nose.

The pinnacle of what has now become the “Nebandagate” scandal is the collection of signatures by a group of lawmakers that wants Parliament recalled from recess to discuss the drama over Nebanda’s death. There are other reasons why MPs want Parliament recalled but the utmost of all is the dire need to defend the independence of Parliament from the President’s attacks.

But let’s face the hard facts. Appearing to defend the hegemony of an institution that has lost credibility puzzles those who know the hypocrisy of our MPs.

The special sitting of the House would make sense if indeed the MPs, particularly those from the NRM party, who signed the petition to recall the House were serious. It’s pointless for the “chameleons” to talk about the independence of Parliament.

Ugandans, from the very beginning, wanted a biting Parliament. It’s the same reason why many applauded Ms Kadaga’s leadership with delight and optimism. But the politics in the NRM Caucus, bordering on the politics of numbers in a confused multiparty system and the inconsistency of some opposition and independent members in the House, is the same reason why Parliament has lost its credibility.

Need for independence

Freedom from Executive domination appears important in how elected politicians think about the roles of “professional parliamentarians”. Ours is a funny system where MPs eat their words with impunity. They don’t care about the public interest and they rarely pursue a matter to its reasonable conclusion. During the infamous 2012/13 budget standoff, Ugandans thought Parliament would assert its authority and fix a sick healthcare system in the country. They made a lot of noise on Shs260 billion needed for the health sector only to succumb to government pressure, leaving Ugandans in the cold.

In trying to understand the goings-on in a puzzling contest between the Executive and Parliament, it’s easy for us to lose sight of the best way to tell the story. And if we lose sight of it, we will certainly never be able to find it. Therefore, an independent Parliament should be brave enough to tell the King that he is naked. The challenge here is that those who signed the petition could be many, but I am sure after Kyankwanzi, the story will be different. Just watch this space.

Even if a special sitting is held today, I doubt whether such a sitting will be able to address the question of independence of Parliament. But for avoidance of doubt, the MPs must look in a clean mirror and immediately act on what is making them ridiculous in the eyes of others. Or else, the Nebanda ghost will never rest in peace!

I salute those who stood up in defence of the independence of Parliament. You have no apologies to make.

Defending the Constitution