The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has defended a recent action by parliament which she chaired to chase journalists away when parliament was debating MP’s welfare concerns.

The matters came during the first day of a week-long induction seminar for the new members of parliament at Imperial Royale hotel attended by all ministers, MPs, donors, academia and other experts.

Kadaga’s remarks came after former chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission Prof. Fredrick Ssempebwa questioned the act by parliament to exclude the media from parliament’s deliberations on emoluments and benefits which he says paints a gloomy picture of what is expected out of this term of parliament.

According to Kadaga, the locking out of journalists was not done in bad faith instead it was meant to enable MPs learn how to deal with banks which she says were all over parliamentarians offering them loans, in addition to warning them against being conned by conmen who wanted money in order to lobby for them for cabinet positions.

SSempebwa also commended the parliamentary appointments committee for rejecting some ministers who did not meet the required academic qualifications, saying this reflects good democracy and independence of parliament.

Ultimate Media