President Yoweri Museveni.

President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last week appealed to the Parliamentary Commission to consider extending the payment of pensions and gratuities to include all the former MPs not just those of the 9th and 10th Parliament.

Museveni said this recently during the Golden Award Ceremony of 1162 MPs who served the country right from the 1st to the 9th Parliament when Uganda celebrated its golden Jubilee.

The President says the government cannot fail to look after 1,000 people who in the last 50 years made a contribution to the development of this country.

The appeal was made when one of the Golden Jubilee Medalists asked that as former legislators, Parliament considers also accompanying their awards with some token of appreciation in form of money.

Mathias Nsubuga, the former Bukoto South MP expressed the need for a resource envelop that can cater for families of former MPs most of whom cannot cater for themselves.

Another MP, Gilbert Oulanya, the Kilak County Member of Parliament did not also differ much saying that government needed to do more for these families either by either schooling their children than giving simply empty medals.

Meanwhile former Rubaga South MP, John Ken Lukyamuzi does not support attaching monetary value to the medal. Lukyamuzi was however, among the few opposition politicians who turned up to receive the medals.
He said boycotting the ceremony is meaningless and he received a medal not for President, Yoweri Museveni but for his own contribution to Uganda’s democratic struggle.

Some of the prominent opposition politicians including Dr. Kizza Besigye, wife Winnie Byanyima, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party President Mugisha Muntu, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Winfred Kiiza  did not show up  for the Golden Jubilee medal awarding ceremony.

Others are Democratic Party (DP) president and former Gulu Municipality MP Norbert Mao, former Mbarara Woman MP Miria Matembe, former Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and others.

The awarding occasion is provided for under the National Honours Award Act, 2001.

The medalists were read out by, General Elly Tumwine who is the Chairperson of the Presidential Awards Committee.

Museveni was later invited to decorate the medalists who were recognised for work done in building Uganda’s democracy.

However, Gen.Tumwine cautioned those who received the medals to handle them with care and put them on with pride since they remain a property of the republic of Uganda.

About 300 Members of Parliament since 1962 to 2012 did not pick their Golden Jubilee award medals, though 600 million shillings was injected in for their procurement and preparations to about 1400 beneficiaries.

Reports from the officials who were giving out invitation cards and identification tags to the beneficiaries of the medals say that most of the Opposition MPs shunned the awarding ceremony and hence causing wastage of funds used for making   invitation cards, identification tags and booking eats they said.

The award is in recognition of the present and former MPs for their contribution to the democratization of the country and some of them missed the medals due to lack of transport facilitation especially to those who served in the first Parliaments.

The awarding ceremony held at Serena hotel on Monday and officiated by the President was attended by few opposition MPs because others did not want to associate with the President and prefer to pick them after without the President’s hand shake.

Among of those who boycotted the function include; the former  Democratic Party President, Dr.Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere,John Sebana Kizito ,Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke ,Leader of Opposition Winfred Kiiza ,Kampala Central MP, Mohammed Nsereko , Erias Lukwago ,Bugweri County MP, Abdul Katuntu ,Soroti Woman MP, Angelina Ossege ,Lubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante ,Busiro South MP,  Merdad Segona ,Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuga among others.

Others are the former FDC Leader, Dr.Kiiza Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima ,former Leader of Opposition, Wafula Oguttu  and Latigo Ogenga ,Democratic Party President, Norbert Mao ,former Mbarara district MP, Maria Matembe among others.

The few opposition MPs who attended the function include the Kilak North MP,  Gilbert Oulanya, Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa ,Lira district Woman MP, Joy Atim , Aswa County MP, Regan Okumu among others.

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In yesterday’s Parliament’s proceeding Chaired by the deputy speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, MPs while recognizing the late Awuzu who succumbed to diabetes at Arua Regional Referral Hospital on Thursday morning, asked government to  increase on programmes that care the older persons in the country.

The motion to pay tribute to the late minister was moved by the First Deputy Prime and Deputy Leader of government business, Gen. Moses Ali and which was also seconded by the Leader of Opposition, Winfred Kiiza and the County Member of Parliament Bernard Atiku.

First Deputy Prime and Deputy Leader of government business, Gen. Moses Ali moved motion to recognise the late Awuzu.

Moses Ali praised the late Awuzu for serving diligently both as a minister and in military service as well as an engineer in his private works.

The Obongi County MP, Hassan Fungaro Kaps, urged government to have a directive where by the hospitals are built in country  especially in rural areas for proper treatment and caring  for older persons since their specialized hospitals for children and women.

Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke, said that the 20,000 shillings promised to older persons should be given out to cater for their few needs because they are still useful to the country.

The late Awuzu at the time of death left behind 18 children and 4 widows.

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Betty Namboze, the Mukono Municipality MP and the brain behind the new proposed Anti- Alcohol Bill 2016.

The ministry of health has agreed to be the lead promoter of the proposed Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 fronted by the Member of Parliament for Mukono Municipality, Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
The principle medical officer in charge of mental health, control of alcohol and drug abuse, Dr.sheila Ndyanabangi says her ministry will lead the promotion of the bill after rejecting the ministry of trade being one of the promoters on basis that it can be compromised since it is more interested in making revenue for the country than people living a healthy life.
Ndyanabangi says that she has talked to MP Nambooze and accepted the ministry’s plea so that the bill is pushed for regulating the manufacturers, advertisement, sell, supply and consumption of alcohol drinks.
She says that the ministry of trade if allowed to be one of the lead promoters of this bill can be compromised by commercial people included in clauses which are not tough against alcohol consumption.

Dr.Ndyanabangi says that she agrees with most of the clauses to the bill, but however, adds that bill should include the age limit from which a youth begins to drink alcohol at 21 years instead of 18 years as proposed in the current bill. She however says she is opportunistic that by 2017, this bill will have been passed by parliament.
The vice chairman of the Uganda Alcohol policy Alliance, David Kalema says that this bill should be drafted in way that captures the civil society organization views.
He says that the Alcoholic drinks control bill should also regulate the week days and public holidays so that alcohol is only consumed from 2pm instead of leaving it open.

The chairperson of the department of Epidemiology and Bio Statistics at  Makerere School of Public Health, Dr.Nazarius Mbone Tumwesigye says that unregulated alcohol drinks has caused accidents by boda boda  riders since  alcohol consumption by Ugandans is more than three times compared to other countries.

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Betty Namboze, the Mukono Municipality MP and the brain behind the new proposed Alcohol Regulation Bill 2016.

Mukono municipality area MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke has started consultations over her intended alcohol bill when she met Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and fellow MPs seeking for their support to her private members bill that seeks to regulate the consumption of alcohol.

The bill named “The alcoholic Control bill 2016” seeks to regulate the consumption, advertising and production of alcohol in the country.

Nambooze held meetings with eight CSOs and some MPs at parliament, discussed the different clauses in the drafted bill which she says is meant to target members that will support the bill at the floor of parliament soon when the house resumes business.

Gomba East Area Member of Parliament, Kalule Ssengo said that government should give support to the bill to help the youth reduce on alcohol consumption which he said has made them lazy.

He adds that government should also urgently find a way of addressing the issue of unemployment among the youth noting that unemployed youth have resorted to drinking alcohol as a consolation way .

The chairperson of the Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance on behalf of other CSOs, Kalema David pledged support to the bill noting that it should also address the issue of alcohol companies that as well target the young people as their market.

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The allegations were brought before the house on Thursday afternoon by 2 MPs who included; Hon.Agaba Abasi the Kitagwenda County MP and Florence Namayanja,the Bukoto East MP who said that many of wetlands are being  depleted while government is looking on. They said these unchecked practices from the said investors need to be protested because such activities were degrading the environment.

The MPs did not however, mention where the degradation was particularly taking place.

The Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Namboze.

Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke, said that these investors came as water transport investors but only to get into sand mining. She also alleged that some of them were involved in exporting Uganda’s soil abroad.

However, Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda while responding to the allegations said that government is not aware of any body authorized to export soil.

This prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, and asked the committee to investigate this matter and report to Parliament in October.

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