Prime
All set for 529 MPs' swearing-in
Ms Anna Adeke, the Soroti District Woman MP, takes oath during the 2016 swearing-in ceremony at Parliament . PHOTO / ALEX ESAGALA
What you need to know:
- The public is advised to use alternative routes as roads around parliament will not be accessible for nearly a week- from May 17- 20.
- Ms Helen Kawesa, the acting director of communications and public affairs at Parliament, told Sunday Monitor that Parliament hopes to handle between 80 and 120 MPs-elect per day.
A total of 529 Members of Parliament-elect are set to be sworn into office beginning tomorrow and ending on Thursday.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Parliament’s South Wing parking lot.
According to the programme, throughout the four days of the event, the ceremony will run from 8am to 1.30pm
There will be break of 30 minutes before the ceremony resumes from 2pm to 6.30pm each day.
Earlier this week, Ms Helen Kawesa, the acting director of communications and public affairs at Parliament, told Sunday Monitor that Parliament had hopes to handle between 80 and 120 MPs-elect per day.
“The swearing in will be done in sequence of alphabetical order,” she said.
The programme, which Sunday Monitor has seen, indicates that the MPs-elect, who will be sworn in on Monday, will be 132 with Ms Ababiku Jesca (Adjumani District Woman MP), being the first on the list.
The remaining 397 MPs-elect will be sworn-in during the remaining three days. When Sunday Monitor reached out to some of the MPs-elect yesterday, the majority expressed excitement and readiness for the day.
Ms Esther Davinia Anyakun (Nakapiripirit Woman MP), who retained her seat and will be accompanied by her mother, daughter and son to the ceremony, said: “I am looking forward to the event. I am not as anxious like I was in 2016 when I was swearing in for the first time.”
Meanwhile, Ms Betty Aol Ocan (Gulu City Woman MP), also re-elected, said this year’s swearing-in ceremony is far different from the one of 2016.
“Then, I was escorted to the swearing-in podium by about 10 people. This time round, it is only my three daughters accompanying me,” Ms Ocan said.
“Regardless, I am ready to take oath while donning my blue gomesi, which colour is inspired by my party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC),” she added.
The MPs-elect will be accompanied by only three people, those with disabilities will be granted one additional person as an aide.
The guidelines are strict because of the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus.
