The bill was proposed after the president promise to make undertaking to improve the retirement benefits of judges.

Dokolo county MP, South Felix Okot Ogong

The deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah said that parliament had given leave to the MP for Dokolo county, South Felix Okot Ogong,  to introduce to parliament a similar bill but government pleaded for the member to abandon his private member’s bill  to wait for what government is bringing which is in vain .

The Deputy Attorney General, Hon. Mwesigwa Rukutana,  said that he regrets the delay to table this bill but his office is still in consultation with the ministry of finance so as when they come up with the provisions in this bill are sustainable and enforceable.

He added that the bill any time will be brought to parliament for consideration.

ALSO READ: Ugandans should not be scared by Sejusa arrest – Felix Okot Ogong

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MP Theodore Sekikubo 

The Member of Parliament for Manjiya county in Bududa district John Baptist Nambeshe said that if Anite does not stop her move to abrogate the constitution  and the appointing authority is not taking action will mobilize mps  signature to censure her.

The MPs asked the UPDF to come out and speak out over this controversial issue which is   tinting their image in public.

The woman member of parliament for kumi municipality monica Amoding question whether the president in his youthful years could have been confortable seeing people amending the constitution to remove age limit.

The MP for Dokolo south Felix Okot and mp for kasanda north Patrick Nsamba  said that if the age limit removal from the constitution is right ,it should have been first cleared by the NRM party leadership and added that there a number of NRM mps opposed to the  age limit issue but are still fearing.

Lwemiya county  Thodore Sekikubo said that the group agitating for age limit removal should bring a report showing the number of each area support in the whole country  if they have a genuine cause.

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Civil society responds to Marrakech climate talks as countries reaffirm their commitment to Paris deal.

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, Hon. Lawrence Biyika (NRM, Ora County), has urged Parliamentarians to engage their communities in day-to-day practices that can check Climate Change.

Biyika was last week addressing the media about the Marrakech Climate Change Conference which took place from the 7-18th November 2016 in Morocco.

Biyika said that Uganda relies heavily on agriculture and natural resources.

“Our target is to increase food production, which we must do while engaging in practices that protect our environment so that we are safe,” Biyika said on Tuesday 13th December 2016.

He added that the Marrakesh Conference called for implementation of proposals made during the Paris Climate Change Conference of 2015. He said that as parliamentarians, there is a need to keep Uganda on track to uphold the Agreement made in Paris by engaging in projects that fight climate change.

“The Conference dictated ways in which emissions of greenhouse gases can be reduced with a timeframe of up to 2100. The Conference also encouraged countries to walk the talk and implement climate change combating procedures,” Biyika said

“As MPs, we need to use our positions to create awareness among the people at the grass roots about climate change and encourage them to participate in activities that protect the environment,” Biyika said.

Hon.Felix Okot Ogong

Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) added that as MPs, there is a need to keep the environment safe.

“Climate change is a very big issue and it is real, so we need to come together and counter this problem,” Okot Ogong said.

The Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Mary Goretti Kitutu (NRM, Manafwa district) said that Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change.

“We need to work on climate change because we are spending money for development on food donations as a result of droughts,” she said.

 “We need to mobilise people to plant trees and discourage people from occupying wetlands. The ecosystem including wetlands and trees are natural water reservoirs. We can use these to get water for irrigation for farming instead of reclaiming them,” Kitutu said.

Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Government Chief Whip, said that she was happy with Chairperson insisting on introducing projects that fight against climate change.

“Let’s push for the Climate Change Bill to be passed so that implementation is made easier. Synergies are important so let’s unite with parliamentary forums like food security to fight climate change,” Nankabirwa said.

Nankabirwa added that the government needs to bring on board people at the level of local government because they give tenders to people who cut forests for charcoal and related issues yet they are the custodians of these forests.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech 2016, aimed at encouraging governments to operationalize the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted in 2016. The Paris Agreement gave clear pathways and a final destination in respect to decisive action on climate change.

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Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende) who were sworn in as the new members of the Pan African Parliament.

The members who were sworn in include Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende). Other new members sworn in were from the Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Niger, Mauritania and Zambia.

In their oath, the Members pledged to “…be faithful and bear true allegiance to the African Union…preserve, protect and defend the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the protocol of the Treaty…promote adherence to the principles of good governance, democracy and human rights, international humanitarian law, peace, stability and all objectives of the Pan African Parliament.”

The PAP is one of the organs of the African Union and comprises five members from each of the 54 African Parliaments. Established in March 2004, the legislature has its headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

The objectives of the PAP are, among others, to promote peace, security and stability in the region; facilitate cooperation and development in Africa; promote human rights and democracy and to encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in member states.

In his welcome remarks to the new and returning Members, the PAP President, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, reiterated his call for the need for member states to sign and ratify the Malabo Protocol.

It was envisaged from the onset that PAP should have full legislative powers but as it stands now, the organ exercises only consultative and advisory powers. However, with the revised Malabo Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union on the PAP, which was adopted by a decision of the AU Assembly in 2014, in Equatorial Guinea, there are plans to give the body full legislative functions with its Members elected from outside the membership of national parliaments.

Women representation improving

In a related event, the Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Martin Chungong, has said that Parliaments in the Arab world and in Africa are becoming more assertive and representative, in terms of women, minorities and youth.

“Africa is faring well, women representation accounts for 23% and 18% in Africa and the Arab world respectively,” he said adding; “We also want to see parliaments made of men and women who uphold integrity in their own right and in society.”

Mr Chungong was addressing PAP Members in a joint meeting of the PAP and the Arab Parliament, which was attended by the Speakers of the National Assembly of Egypt, the Arab Parliament, the PAP President and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

He extended an invitation to the leadership of the PAP to take necessary steps to join the IPU.

The third Ordinary Session of the PAP is sitting from 10th – 19th October 2016 in Cairo, Egypt.

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Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa.

Parliament has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa, to give a statement over the state of Uganda’s Missions and Embassies abroad.
The move follows a recent embarrassing situation in Uganda’s Embassy in United States where a Ugandan diplomat, Kintu Nyago a few days ago is said to have “accidentally” shared a confidential government brief about South Sudan with the UN Security Council, triggering a diplomatic incident and embarrassment.

Hon. Jack Wamanga Wamayi the Mbale Municipality MP and Hon. Felix Okot Ogong the MP for Dokolo South while discussing before the house in parliament questioned the capacity of Uganda’s officers whom they said are a mere political appointments to the missions abroad.

They argued that such jobs require people who are well trained and conversant with diplomatic methods of work.
“We feel very embarrassed when an officer reduces Uganda to a laughing stock like it was in New York when the Uganda’s Charge` d’ affaires, Kintu Nyago, shared a private mission document on South Sudan with UN Security Council. This shows that office cannot handle sensitive information about our Country. We need to have competent officers in such offices if those currently in place cannot handle the tasks,” Wamayi charged.
Okot on his part questioned why the Minister of Foreign Affairs is never in Parliament to brief parliament on matters under his ministry.

“We have lately had many issues that need clarification from the Foreign Affairs Minister but he is never in the house the clear the air about these bad public images,” Okot noted.
It was at this point that Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, ordered the Minister of Foreign Affairs to bring a statement to Parliament and a report clarifying how a confidential document was leaked to the UN Security Council was leaked by Uganda’s representative in   New York.

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Members of parliament on the Tourism, Trade and Industry committee of parliament have pleaded to government to consider reviving a National Airline carrier to boast tourism and marketing the country. MPs on the committee chaired by Kyegegwa district woman MP Flavia Kabahenda demanded for the national carrier while meeting the minister of Tourism Maria Mutagamba who was appearing  before this committee over her ministry’s budget for the financial year 2016/17.
MPs who include Dokolo county Mp Felix Okot Ogong, Bulisa county MP Stephen Mukitale and Flavia Kabahenda considered this move after they realized  that  tourists visiting the country have dropped by 23%. They said that the drop could have been due to lack of a national airline carrier since tourists fear to be subjected to heavy road traffic while going to areas of tourist destination because the in-flights are too expensive for them.

However, the minister of Tourism Maria Mutagamba said that her ministry engaged the president and accepted the process of reviving the National Airline and directed the minister in charge of works and transport to kick start the process by taking a cabinet paper to cabinet for approval.

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General Sejusa in the dock. Photo: Daily Monitor

The  member  of parliament  for Dokolo county Felix Okot Ogong says  that the arrest of the Former chief spy General David Sejusa  should not scare Ugandans that there could be chaos politically. Okot says that it was a right decision to arrest Sejusa by the Army saying despite his arrest the country will remain safe. He says that Sejusa could have violated army code of conduct and ethics in the military that should be adhered too.

Bongokho North- Mbale District Hajji Gudoi Yahaya says what Gen. Sejusa uttered at public rallies and on media should not be taken lightly because he has been in the government security agencies adding that his words are very dangerous to  the security of the country. He says it become even worse when he has joined presidential candidates who have ever been in the security agencies.

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The member of parliament for Dokolo county Felix Okot Ogong says that its not fair to tax the leaders who were elected to work on their behalf at different political level. MPs demand  that KCCA to drop such fees because it’s a constitutional right for leaders to contest and blocking leaders to show their face to voters undermine the constitution.

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Inflammation of the liver of any cause is referred to as hepatitis. It may be caused by viruses, drugs, or alcohol, although the most common cause is viruses, viral hepatitis. There are several types of viral hepatitis, the most common of which are hepatitis A, B, and C. MedicineNet.com

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