House suspended as female MPs attempt to beat up Zaake

“On October 9, one of our members, the Hon Zaake, came to my constituency and used defamatory words against me that I cannot mention here,” she said.

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Rules of procedure
However, before she could conclude, Ms Gorreti Namugga (Mawogola South) stopped her in her tracks, asking whether it was in order for such a matter to be raised yet it had not been mentioned in the Deputy Speaker’s communication.
In response, Mr Tayebwa said: “Point of procedure comes at any time. A member has raised the point of procedure, allow the member to say what she is saying then I will rule whether she is procedurally right or not.”

 As a result, Ms Kinyamatama went on to place the same request that the clip that was at the time in possession of the ICT department be played on screens within Parliament.
Mr Tayebwa also indicated that he had watched the video clip which left him “totally shocked.”

But Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (Kiira Municipality) opposed Ms Kinyamatama’s request to have the clip played in Parliament.
“I have a problem with matters happening outside Parliament coming here and they become part of parliamentary business. The colleague complaining has said what was said, she can’t utter it. How on earth can Parliament listen to what she said if she can’t utter it?” Mr Ssemujju wondered.
Mr Tayebwa ruled that the clip would not be played but would be submitted to the Rules, Privileges and Discipline Committee where it will be scrutinised.

Kinyamatama’s demand
But Ms Kinyamatama demanded that, “let that video be played, I want the world to see what he said, why are we covering evil? An attack on a woman is an attack on all of us as female MPs, I have been keeping my cool, but I want this house to see what exactly happened….”
The Deputy Speaker then eventually ordered that the clip be played.
With just about two minutes into the clip, a section of MPs were heard heckling, which forced Mr Tayebwa to suspend plenary for 10 minutes although the break stretched beyond the given time.

After the House resumed, Mr Tayebwa resolved that the clip be played for just two minutes before plenary could discuss other business.
In the end, the clip was played but before the House could discuss other business, loud noise erupted from outside plenary, which interfered with normal proceedings.

As a result, Mr Tayebwa was forced to adjourn plenary to Tuesday next week.
Whereas the actual fracas that forced Mr Tayebwa to adjourn plenary happened within the pigeon area, which is only accessible to MPs, a section of female lawmakers told Monitor that they wanted to beat up Mr Zaake.

Female MPs unite
“Hon Zaake has survived today because the female Members of Parliament were determined to undress him because what he did was undressing a fellow MP,” Sheema Woman MP Rosemary Nyakikongoro said.
She argued that attacking Mr Zaake would help in arresting what she termed as escalating “male chauvinism” within Parliament.
“For me I believe that male chauvinism is becoming too much. For politics is going beyond, we have life after politics. We should always check ourselves,” she said.

“Much as the speaker has sent this to the committee, I think Hon Kinyamatama should go to court…. Otherwise Zaake is undisciplined,” Ms Nyakikongoro added.

The Commissioner of Parliament, who doubles as Zombo Woman MP, Ms Esther Afoyo-Ochan, called for disciplinary action against Mr Zaake.
“I think it is about time to send Hon Zaake back to his constituency and his constituency gives us another person. We cannot lead on like this,” Ms Afoyo-Ochan said.

The aggrieved Ms Kinyamatama said that “whether we go to the rules or to the committee, we don’t want Zaake anymore in our House.”
Attempts to speak to Mr Zaake were futile as he was whisked away from Parliament.