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Parliament regional sittings: Northern MPs up in arms over Ssenyonyi comments
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi makes a presentation during plenary.
What you need to know:
- Parliament spokesperson, Chris Obore described the Opposition boycott a political stunt arguing that the money was already budgeted for.
A section of legislators from Northern Uganda have lashed out at the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Mr Joel Ssenyonyi who on Tuesday described Parliament’s move to hold regional Parliamentary sittings as a waste of taxpayers’ money.
In pronounced angry tones vented out at a presser held at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, the legislators claimed Mr Ssenyonyi’s decision to allagedly demobilise MPs against attending the regional sittings was premised on biased opinions aimed at drawing ‘media clout’.
Parliament is set to hold four regional sittings with the inaugural regional three-day plenary slated to commence on August 28, 2024, at the Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, something a section MPs insist should happen.
“Is it unfortunate that perhaps the regional sittings are going to start with Northern Uganda? I hope he would have said the same if the regional sittings were starting from another region. It isn’t right for someone to oppose everything,” Ms Faith Nakut, Woman MP for Napaka District said, adding “The affinity for relevance shouldn’t make us fail to think objectively. At least he should allow these sittings to go on. If there is need to save, then he will save from the sittings in the next regions.”
Similarly, the Kole North MP, Dr Samuel Opio Acuti said “why is he applying selectivity in the issues he is raising? He is creating unacceptable division. Let it be clear that Northern Uganda isn’t part of the agenda as Opposition and we get to clearly understand that we no longer have the National Unity Platform (NUP), but Northern Uganda Persecutors.”
Minutes he chaired the closed-door opposition shadow cabinet sitting, LoP Ssenyonyi trashed the planned regional sittings stating the alleged Shs5 billion be to spent on sittings in each region would be a waste.
He used the press briefing in his boardroom at Parliament to demobilize all opposition MPs from attending the sittings.
“We understand that about Shs5 billion is going to be spent on each of these settings. The first one being in Gulu, then there will be another in Mbarara, then another in Mbale and one of the Central Uganda districts,” he said, adding “This expenditure is difficult for us to explain to the public and the people we represent. It is total wastage, so we are saying, for this which doesn’t make logical, financial sense, it is a problem we don’t want to be part of.”
He added, “The general public has been bashing Parliament and rightly so, because they have been hearing of the grand theft that has been happening in this institution, in different offices, beginning with the top office in this institution, and then you come out and do such a thing which isn’t explainable at all, it doesn’t make sense.”
In a rebuttal, the seemingly charged legislators from Northern Uganda who included Democratic Party Whip in Parliament Mr Peter Okot stated that “the news that came yesterday that that the opposition has resolved that they may boycott regional sittings was not definitive [because] I believe that there is still room for persuading them to take part in the regional sittings.
He added “Not everything must be seen from the negative side. I would urge the opposition to take advantage of these regional meetings to make their presence felt. We are meant to check the government in its excesses, so this is an opportunity for the opposition to shine in Gulu, Masaka, Mbarara and Mbale. It is only the elite who follow what goes on in Kampala.”
Parliament spokesperson, Chris Obore described the Opposition boycott a political stunt arguing that the money was already budgeted for.
"The sitting in Gulu comes with no additional cost to the taxpayer but it comes with so many benefits such as enabling MPs to go and see what it means to live outside Kampala. Some MPs have gotten used to Kampala areas and think they know the country. Let's go to the people who have no opportunity to come to Kampala to see what you do. So, it's a bit unfortunate," Mr Obore said.
LoP Ssenyonyi defense
In a quick-succession reaction, Mr Ssenyonyi stated: “it is unfortunate that some of my colleagues in Parliament have decided to trivialize this matter and make it as if it is a personal issue. We are opposed to the general idea of holding these regional sittings and not just Northern Uganda. What do the ordinary people in these regions really want if we were to ask them? What they want are services like good roads and medicine in hospitals. When you tell them that we’re going to spend Shs5 billion just for a meeting, it does not make sense. They should stop trivializing this issue.”
He added: “We need to be careful and give excuses that are also logical, many things are budgeted for [but] are they right? For example, they insisted on budgeting [Shs300 Billion as] money for Roko [Construction Company], to-date some of us are saying that money should not go to Roko but to interns and teachers.”
As she delivered her remarks at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Kololo Independence Grounds on June 6th, House Speaker Ms Anita Among revealed that Parliament would hold regional sittings. She used the same address to invite President Museveni to open the inaugural sitting scheduled to happen in Gulu later this month.
