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Why Parliament won’t probe Zaake beating
Mityana Municipality legislator Francis Zaake at a hospital in Kampala on November 6, 2024 after he suffered multiple blows from MP Anthony Akol. PHOTO/NMG
What you need to know:
- In the current 11th Parliament, Mr Zaake has faced the Committee three times over allegations of misconduct that eventually cost him the parliamentary commissioner position.
Parliament’s Committee of Rules, Privileges and Discipline will not deliberate over the confrontation that ensued between two lawmakers on Wednesday.
Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake (National Unity Platform) was punched several times on the head by Kilak North MP Anthony Akol (Forum for Democratic Change) over a seat. This was during discussions of the controversial Coffee Bill, 2024, which was subsequently passed.
Speaking to Monitor yesterday, the Rules Committee deputy chairperson, Mr Charles Onen, said they would not handle the incident because Speaker Anita Among already made a ruling.
“The Rules say that the House is to initiate every process of investigation and not the Committee. Like the Wednesday case, the Speaker already gave a directive that 12 MPs should be suspended from three consecutive sittings. With that in place, the Rules committee cannot come out and start embarking on investigating anything,” Mr Onen said.
According to section 87 (2) of the Rules of Procedure, the decision of the Speaker or chairperson on any point shall not be open to appeal and shall not be reviewed by the House, except upon a substantive motion made after notice.
Mr Zaake told this publication that Mr Akol deserves to be sent to the Rules Committee, like he has been treated in the past over allegations of misconduct.
The lawmaker further claimed that the story would have been different had he fought back in self-defence.
“I am regarded as a bad person in the House because of previous cases that have been heaped on me and I knew that if I tried to do anything in defence, I would have again been sent to the Rules Committee,” he said.
In the current 11th Parliament, Mr Zaake has faced the Committee three times over allegations of misconduct that eventually cost him the parliamentary commissioner position.
Mr Zaake claims he refrained from fighting back because “there was a bigger war on coffee’’.
“My target was not Honourable Akol. He is my fellow Opposition person. My target was to instead fight the security apparatus that had infiltrated the House like how they did during the age limit debate,” Mr Zaake said.
During a September 2017 deliberation over the Presidential Age Limit Bill, a standoff resulted in the chambers after Special Forces Command soldiers, some wearing civilian clothes, stormed Parliament chambers and physically ejected Opposition Members who stood against the Bill.
Blame
Mr Zaake was among the lawmakers injured in the fracas and alleged that the then Works minister, Gen Katumba Wamala, punched him during the fracas. He was also hospitalised after the incident.
The lawmaker now asserts that he is tired of being a punching bag and will seek legal justice.
His lawyer, Mr Eron Kiiza, said they are planning on filing several cases intended to protect their client’s dignity.
“There are civil and criminal cases arising from this incident including assault and inhuman treatment. The MP (Akol) will be taken to the courts of law,” Mr Kiiza said during a visit at the Mother Kevin wing of Nsambya Hospital in Kampala, where the legislator is admitted.
The great news, Mr Zaake revealed, is that he is improving and will be discharged anytime.
“The doctors have managed the pain that I felt beneath my neck and ears where I was boxed,” he said.
“I believe those who torture me want me to get head problems because every time they beat me, they target the head. Probably they want me mad,” he added.
Mr Akol, by press time, had not yet responded to media inquiries to comment about the incident.
