Mr Richard Lumu, the Mityana South Member of Parliament
The decision by Mr Richard Lumu (Mityana South MP) to push for a law that will adjust the way the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) and the shadow cabinet are chosen has precipitated unrest in the Opposition camp.
Since he tabled the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Mr Lumu riled the vast majority of fellow Opposition lawmakers, including the president general of his Democratic Party, Mr Norbert Mao, also the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister.
The legislation tabled on Wednesday for the first reading, besides demanding that the LoP be elected by Opposition lawmakers also intends "to provide additional grounds upon which the Leader of Opposition may cease to hold office”.
It outlines plans "to require the shadow cabinet to be approved by Members of the Opposition parties in Parliament” and also condition the LoP to "consult Opposition political parties represented in Parliament when appointing chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of standing committees".
Currently, the LoP is determined by the leadership of the leading Opposition political party in Parliament. The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party assumed that mantle after Uganda returned to a multiparty political dispensation. After sending 56 lawmakers to the House in 2021, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party assumed the mantle.
Mr Lumu, the mover of the Bill, says in the draft law seen by Sunday Monitor that the intention is to hold the LoP accountable.
“The current manner of election of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament has not only led to the suppression of the views of other Opposition political parties in Parliament but also made it impossible for the members in Opposition in Parliament to hold the Leader of the Opposition accountable,” the Bill prepared by Mr Lumu reads in part.
To address this, the Mityana South lawmaker proposes a reversal of this in order “to allow for the participation of all members of the Opposition in Parliament in the election of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament in order to achieve effective representation.”
On his own?
Since he sought leave to process the said Bill in late September, Mr Lumu has faced backlash from his colleagues. Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the current LoP, has also offered no kind words, saying, without giving proof, that the Bill is intended to gag him.
"While I am in this office, I will execute my duty to the letter. I will keep the government in check. I will not keep quiet about corruption in government, corruption in this building of Parliament, and issues of poor service delivery, I will not keep quiet. I know those things are annoying people and that's why they're moving very quickly to deal with Ssenyonyi,” he said this past week.
In an interview with The Monitor, Mr Lumu said his Bill is not targeted at anyone.
“I don’t have friction with people. I have my opinions. I don’t have friction with anybody because if you ask anybody here, I normally mind my business. I don’t care what people are doing. When I come here, I do my job and leave. So I have no friction with whoever” he said, adding, “And I don’t know why they are trying to create that as a point. Let them discuss my issues. My issues are national issues. They cannot reduce my issues to conflicts with I don’t know who. That is being unrealistic and actually reducing my Bill to a person.”
Doubts abound
Mr Lumu also distanced himself from allegations that the Bill was being pushed by malfeasant forces. He instead insists that the Opposition should credit him for introducing a law intended to help fix deep fissures in their camp. This, he adds, includes mistrust occasioned by internal fights among members.
Two weeks after he sought leave to process the said legislation, Mr Lumu undertook to engage Opposition political parties over his Bill in a bid to get them to buy into the same.
The proposed draft law received a lukewarm reception from the vast majority of not just the Opposition’s stalwarts but also the rank and file.
It was also met with a similar reception during the first committee stage session sitting in which the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee is meant to thoroughly scrutinise the Bill before it is re-tabled in the House for final debate and enactment.
Mr Jonathan Odur, the Erute South lawmaker, for one wondered why the same committee has not given priority to processing proposals in Uganda’s supreme law to consider the proposed amendment, such as those pushed through Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (Rapex).
“I was concerned at how quickly this particular amendment has found its way, ahead of the many other Bills that we have in this committee. Of particular interest is that we have a constitutional amendment before this committee,” Mr Odur said.
He added: “This particular Bill is about the Leader of Opposition that is provided for in the Constitution under Article 82(a), so, wouldn’t it have been proper that we deal with the constitutional amendment which may, on different proposal touch on Article 82(a) rather than fast-tracking the Administration of Parliament Act.”
Whereas there have been fears that the said Bill may not sail through, Mr Lumu insists he will keep advancing his position regardless.
“I don’t really care. My duty is to do my work. For me I am going to do it perfectly. I am also going to look at Hon [Medard] Ssegona’s [previous] Bill and ask him why he failed. And also learn from him on why he failed,” Mr Lumu said.
