Janet cancels meeting with MPs on school reopening

The Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni, yesterday abruptly called off her scheduled meeting with MPs on reopening of schools, which was slated to take place today at Kololo Independence Grounds.

The cancellation came hours amid protests by a section of MPs, especially from the Opposition who said Ms Museveni should meet them at Parliament on the grounds that she does not have powers to summon the legislature.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Mr Denis Mugimba, said a new date would be identified and communicated.

“The meeting between the Minister of Education and Sports and Members of Parliament has been postponed. A new date shall be communicated, ”he said in one of the notices posted on social media.

When contacted, Mr Mugimba said he was not privy to the reasons behind cancellation.

MPs reject Kololo meeting
During the plenary yesterday, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, rejected the Kololo meeting, saying it abuses the sanctity and independence of Parliament.

He suggested that Ms Museveni meet the MPs at the car parking of Parliament since it is big enough.

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, had earlier appealed to MPs to agree to meet Ms Museveni.

Mr Oulanyah had said the meeting would be an informal but semi parliamentary sitting and he had pledged to chair and requested the MPs who had not yet tested for Covid-19 to do so, saying the meeting was an opportunity for them to listen and see how they can proceed to reopen the schools.

Before receiving the communication, Mr  Oulanyah had ruled that those to attend the meeting virtually will not be able to give submissions.

However, Mr Mpuuga wondered how the resolutions from the “semi parliamentary sitting” would be implemented, warning that the meeting will open a pandora box where ministers will decline to present serious issues before Parliament.

Ms Museveni had last week summoned MPs to Kololo Independence Grounds to discuss modalities leading to the reopening of schools, which rattled Opposition legislators who accused the minister of abusing the rules and procedures of Parliament.