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Poor timekeeping, election fever or sheer impunity?
Last week the House struggled to conduct business. It was not about the return of Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah (known for punctuality), but about the duplicity of some legislators. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
Time management. There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing - Brian Tracy
At the rear of a new Cabinet reshuffle, some lawmakers received the news with consternation. The line-up triggered mixed feelings. Some were thrilled and others astounded for obvious reasons: They were not left out. As for the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the gaffe in President Museveni’s pre-election Cabinet is the apparent lack of “national character”, one of the fundamental dictates of our Constitution.
In Parliament, this reshuffle disillusioned some ruling party members. Thus, they received the news of a Cabinet reshuffle with pain. Some had worked so hard, some overhauled their wardrobes; hoping to catch the President’s eye. Some even lobbied State House friends — all this was in desperation for Cabinet jobs. When the official list came after a long wait, their names were missing.
Their dreams were completely shattered and some started cursing. But for David Bahati (Planning), Dr Chris Baryomunsi (Health, General Duties), Evelyn Anite (Youth and Children) and Mr Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja (Agriculture) fidelity paid off.
I congratulate those who made it to the Cabinet list and mourn the President’s failure to kick out scandalous frontbenchers— the nonperforming ministers.
Whether the exit of the Government Principal Legal Adviser, Peter Nyombi was politically motivated or tagged on disappointing deliverables ( what some legal brains in town call: incompetence) or otherwise, his departure was exulted by some members of the Uganda Law Society.
Mr Nyombi had a scorching time in office and will always be remembered for receiving the ‘certificate of incompetence’. In an indictment on Mr Nyombi’s reading of the supreme law, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga was categorical in her advice to Fredrick Ruhindi, the new Attorney General: “I expect better cooperation and better interpretation of the Constitution.”
For drowsy ministers who could have found their way to the Cabinet list, we pray that the Parliamentary Appointments Committee finds the audacity to block the nonperformers in public interest. The vetting team needs to look beyond CVs. The ministers who dodge Parliament should be cautioned and any approval particularly for the seasoned ministers should be tagged on integrity and performance. Regrettably, because of the “dictatorship of numbers”, a closed-door Appointments Committee appears to have “added insult to injury” to the extent that with exception of a few cases, members are too shy to look the President in the eye and say no to blemished nominees.
Poor time management
Last week, the House struggled to conduct business. It’s not about the return of Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah (known for punctuality); it’s about the duplicity of some legislators who have made it a habit to frustrate House business. They dodge proceedings with impunity.
Whether this is about 2016 or otherwise, the MPs should be reminded to get serious. What they are doing is wrong. Some are not even ashamed to tell the Speaker to understand the dilemma they are in.
But a critical look into the awkwardness in the House these days, points to the fact that it’s not so much about poor timekeeping culture in the House; it is the re-election panic and utter impunity that is eating into the moral fabric of our politicians.
Time is the most precious thing in life. It influences every single moment and everything we do. So to manage time is to manage life. But as internationally known time management expert Peter Turla puts it, managing your time without setting priorities is like shooting randomly and calling whatever you hit the target. This is the situation in Parliament nowadays.
We will not waste time discussing the embarrassment of empty seats in a national Parliament because Ugandans are tired of this song. Here, I can only urge those in authority to do something about this malaise.
On Wednesday, the Clerk called several items on the Order Paper, but concerned members were not in the House. Mr William Nzonghu (FDC, Busongora North MP), yelled in disbelief. He was concerned that even the Leader of Government Business in Parliament was also missing in action. The in-coming Government Chief Whip, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, was also missing.
This is what he said: “I’m disgusted that we are wasting taxpayers’ money and wasting time of Parliament. I want to thank you Mr Speaker for keeping time. It will be unreasonable for you (Speaker) to wait for members and they don’t even come. This uncoordinated manner [should stop]. Nothing is being handled.”
Interestingly, when the Deputy Speaker tried to introduce Mr Charles Bakabulindi (Sports State minister) as the stand-in Leader of Government Business, he exhibited highest levels of incompetence when he quickly approached the table to clarify to the House that he was in the Parliament as MP for Workers and that his superiors had not assigned him the position of acting Leader of Government Business.
While Mr Bakabulindi had not been officially assigned, it was ludicrous for a minister of his “stature” to scandalise the frontbench.
Report passed without debate
On account of absenteeism, it’s no longer unusual for Parliament to pass reports without debate. For instance on Wednesday, the chairperson of the Physical Infrastructure committee, Mr Ephraim Biraro (Buhweju Country), presented a report on a key petition by residents of Kabeho, Kinoni Booma, Kyattuba B and Bigaaga Local Councils of Bulongo Parish, Ntuusi Sub-county Lwemiyaga County Sembabule District.
Unsurprisingly, when the Speaker opened the motion for debate, there was no member willing to debate this very important matter on land wrangles. This petition was presented by Mr Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga).
Attempts by Mr Ssekikubo to re-open debate on this matter were frustrated by Ms Kabakumba Matsiko (Bujenje MP). Mr Ssekikubo told the House that the petitioners were being evicted from a piece of land on Plot 5 dock 11 measuring 2,930 acres which is four and half square mile registered in the names Uganda Investment Authority.
The residents wanted Parliament to investigate circumstances under which Ms Kellen Kayonga drove her cattle on the residents land. In the process she destroyed crops, pasture, caused pollution of water and fenced off the land. Ms Kayonga denies any wrongdoing and insists that she bought the land in question. This matter was accordingly sealed without any debate and the residents left in the dark.
On Thursday, the scandal of absenteeism in the House came to the fore when members started washing their dirty linen on the floor of Parliament, confirming the clumsiness of our representatives. Standing on a matter of national importance, Kawempe North Latiff Sebaggala complained that a petition he brought to Parliament in April 2013 has never been handled.
Mr Bahati also complained that his petition had overstayed in Parliament. Deputy Speaker reminded MPs that Ugandans come to Parliament with urgent matters, seeking for assistance. Unfortunately, some of the issues have been overtaken by events.
From this, it’s apparent that our representatives have let us down and the House is losing relevance. Fortunately, all this drama is happening at the right time. Let’s play by the rules and vote unserious MPs out. This will restore sanity in Parliament.
