Opposition? Uganda’s MPs play for the same team

Knowing the composition of the 11th Parliament gives a picture of what awaits those sent out to ‘save’ the people. The House has about 557 members as of July 29, 2023 (www.parliament.go.ug.) The composition has Constituency Representatives at (353,) Women Representatives (146,) UPDF (10,) Youth Representatives (5,) Persons with Disabilities’ Representatives (5,) Workers’ Representatives (5,) Older Persons’ Representatives (5,) Ex officio Members (28.)

In this arrangement, the NRM party has the lion’s share with 336 members which is about 60.3 percent. The Opposition has about 109 members. The breakdown gives NUP (57,) FDC (32,) DP (9,) UPC (9,) Justice Forum (1,) and Peoples Progressive Party (1.) This accounts for about 19.7 percent.  Then you have the others who include the Independents (74,) UPDF (10) and Ex-Official members who include appointed ministers who are not voted as MPs, standing at (28.) The total number is 112 which is approximately 20 percent.

 It is a given that the UPDF and Ex-officials are in the NRM bag. When they get together their tally is 374 which brings them well beyond the two thirds majority at 67 percent. Many of the 74 Independents are NRM leaning. They often find themselves in this situation because they fail to secure the party ticket for reasons like rigging. They in practical terms are part of the NRM family. They often attend party meetings and functions. 
This means that the Opposition in parliament is a very thin barrier that can easily be breached. NRM in alliance with a few Independents plus the UPDF can and always moves on without the Opposition.

The Opposition for all intents and purposes becomes a mere moral voice or at times carries a nuisance value. They irritate and expose the government side without necessarily providing the force to stop the NRM government from getting what it wants, be it good or bad. Yet a lot is expected from them considering the promises they make when seeking election. These often include fighting corruption to enhance provision of better social and economic services like schools, hospitals, roads, water, housing, fair taxation, jobs and market for agricultural produce. With time they realise that it is the government that has the money to cause significant change. 

Yet the voter can’t wait or understand that the government is abusing resources and deliberately failing its people especially where it is not popular.  The voters turn their attention to the MPs asking them for the social services the government is supposed to provide. The MP has to share his salary and allowances with the people lest they risk being part of the over 65 percent who never return to parliament after one term. Yet it is common knowledge that most of them borrow and sell their assets to run campaigns to get them to parliament. They hope to recoup their deposit when they reach the promised land. But like it happened with Moses in the Bible most of them only see it but never get there as they battle debt and financial demands from the electorate.

One Opposition MP recently said on radio that they have never been as broke as they are because of dealing with the demands of voters. The hope that a day comes when there will be a law which criminalises begging MPs or MPs giving in to voters’ financial demands. As the clock ticks to the next election the MPs realise that they are working in a political environment where the government creates a power relation by depriving voters of basic needs. It then humiliates and forces the latter to go crawling on their knees for help in exchange for patronage.

If you can’t beat them, you join them, so it is said. That is how the smart opposition MP sets off to have large pockets by all means and play the ‘government role,’ of the provider instead of ‘wasting time,’ legislating and opposing to no significant effect.

They become friendly opposition and join their party (no pun intended.) Keep away from controversial issues and abstain from voting. Blame the donors for not providing the resources and attack the underpaid and poorly facilitated health workers and teachers for lousy health services and educational standards respectively.

Then the Opposition MP qualifies for per diem laden trips. They get facilitation under all manner of pretexts like consultation which they are supposed to do ordinarily as legislators. 

Some are flown abroad with their spouses who are given a ‘stipend’ for medical attention at the taxpayers expense. In the darkness of the night some have their bills paid. In such a compromised situation the oversight role vanishes in thin air. You end up with opposition MPs only in name; posturing for the media but acting otherwise or not acting at all. 
If you look at them keenly you are reminded of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. After the pigs had been transformed from struggling against the oppression of man, they ended up enjoying the privileges of their nemesis hitherto and acting like him. They sat with the man as if they had never fought him.

 Orwell writes thus; “the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; it was impossible to say which was which.” The alleged corruption in Parliament is not only an NRM problem or that of the Speaker alone. It ropes in even those entrusted with fighting for the people against the government – the opposition. When you look at the NRM MPs and the opposition MPs, it is hard to tell which is which.

Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues
Twitter: @nsengoba