Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga

The move to extend the term of elective offices from five to seven years was brought back, when disclosed his plans to table a private member’s bill that seeks to extend the term of all elective offices from five years to seven.

The seven year term of office for the president and the members of parliament was first fronted by Kabula county MP James Kakooza in the 9^th parliament but was unpopular among MPs.

ALSO READ:Museveni to meet parliamentary committee on trade and Industry over Sugar Bill

Contacted opposition MPs who include Hon Moses Kasibante,Rubaga North, Hon.Paulson Lutamaguzi, Nakaseke south, Ndorwa East, Wilfred Niwagaba ,Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze Bakireke and Rukungiri Municipality MP

said that  if a bill seeking for extension of the term of office of the and president  members of parliament is  brought in parliament they will entirely  oppose it and vote against  because it against the people’s will who voted the government in power for five years. 

Ssemakula said that it’s a bad proposal because it comes at a time when the country is expecting MPs to assessing their performance for the two years they have spent in parliament.

Niwagaba said that   this proposal would not benefit the current parliament and this shall require a referendum to have peoples mandate.

ALSO READ:Kadaga issues new security guidelines at parliament

The post Opposition MPs reject proposed seven year term first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Bank of Uganda appearing before the committee

The Bank of Uganda officials led by the deputy governor bank of Uganda Louis Kasekende were grilled before the parliamentary committee on commissions, statutory Authorities and state enterprises over hiring external lawyers to battle court cases which are against central bank.

The committee chaired by the MP for Bugweri county Abdul Katuntu had summoned the bank of Uganda governor to explain why they seek services of private lawyers to represent the bank of Uganda in court yet the bank has a legal department with legal officers who could have battled the cases in court

ALSO READ:World’s Best Airlines for 2018

Among the notable cases is the ongoing crane bank case against bank of Uganda which is being pursued by the private lawyers on behalf of bank of Uganda.

The committee members who include the woman MP Koboko district Margaret Babadiri, Kitgum municipality MP Beatrice Anywar ,Bukedea district woman MP Anita Among and Abdul Katuntu pinned Bank of Uganda officials for not utilizing the services of the office of the Attorney general as the government principal legal advisor to battle some of the cases brought against bank of Uganda instead of wasting tax payers money on hiring external layers.

Katuntu  said that government should guide the its institutions  on what point they should seek external lawyers service to cut costs spent on private layers yet there is Attorney general paid to deal with court cases.

However the deputy governor Louis Kasekende and bank of Uganda legal officer Margaret Kasule said that the central bank legal department is under staffed hence resorting to hiring the private lawyers.

the commitee gave officials from Bank of Uganda up-to Thursday to submit the total legal fees they have paid to external lawyers since 2013.The fees must also include those paid to lawyers in the case between Bank of Uganda and Crane Bank.

ALSO READ:Health plus to skill young people in Busoga

The post BOU officials grilled over hiring external lawyers to battle court cases first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

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.

The post Museveni appeals to Parliamentary Commission on extension of pension benefits. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Rose Mutonyi the Committee Chairperson on Foreign Affairs.

This comes after Esther Anyakun, the Nakapipipit district woman MP proposed before the Committee chaired by Rose Mutonyi, the Bubulo West Constituency MP. Anyakun said that Parliament should prevail over government to withdraw staff at the Ugandan mission in south Sudan since the situation is worsening.

She said that ever since the First Vice President of South Sudan, Dr.Riek Machar left the Capital Juba a few weeks ago when rival soldiers clashed, the war has started manifesting itself afresh, she said.

However, Jack Wamai Wamanga the Mbale Municipality MP said there was no need for withdrawing Ugandan diplomats from South Sudan since it’s not Uganda that is at war with its neighbor South Sudan.

Another MP, Atkins Katushabe, representing Bukozo West and also the shadow minister for foreign affairs agreed with committee members to summon the Ministers of foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa and Okello Oryem so that they can have a clear situational analysis of the situation in South Sudan and guide the nation on the next course of direction.

Mutonyi said she would write to the 2 minister to appear before the committee and give their firsthand account on how they intend to deal with the situation.

She said that the UPDF should continue with they work it started of evacuating Ugandans so that they can avoid the risk of being killed in South Sudan.

Some MPs on the committee also want to meet President Museveni over the same matter in the youngest East African Country and discuss what would be the solution to end this war.

Latest UN reports from South Sudan indicate that fighting, which killed hundreds and displaced more than one million, could worsen the already troubled humanitarian crisis, adding that Millions of people have been made homeless with escalating hunger from renewed fighting.

The recent clashes are said to have claimed an estimated 300 people mainly soldiers.

The post MPS want staff at Uganda’s mission in S.Sudan evacuated first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Parliament resumes work in a special sitting today as the opposition members of parliament complain about the recall. Parliament was recalled from recess for a second time to handle important and pending urgent business from 1st – 3rd September 2015.

Among the business on order paper to be handled included the NGO Bill, Creation of districts, Loan requests, the Lotteries, Gaming Bill and the Supplementary Schedules 1, 2 and 3 for FY 2014/2015.

The Member of Parliament for Busiro East Merdad Segona said that it is unfortunate that parliament is summoned to legislate on the NGOs bill after government realizing that some of the individuals supporting the opposition work in NGOs. He said that parliament should always reject influence of the executive and not recall MPS for unnecessary issues, adding that the summon should have been for debating of the disputed sale of Namulonge Research Institute land .

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Ibrahim Semujju Nganda said that parliament should always stick to work agreed upon by the parliament’s business committee instead of calling parliament at any time as if there is no program is followed.

The Forum for Democratic  change  members  are reportedly not attending these  sitting  because the dates clash with the FDC Delegates’ Conference scheduled and gazetted months ago to elect the party Presidential flag bearer. The FDC’s delegates is scheduled for 2^nd September at Namboole stadium

The post Parliament resumes work in a special sitting first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Mbabaali at his graduation from Uganda Pentecostal University

A concerned citizen and a member of the NRM party, one Posiano Matovu, through his lawyers Ssewankambo and company advocates, is seeking to block former Bukoto South MP, Hon. Hajji. Muyanja Mbabaali from taking part in the coming polls on grounds that he has no education qualification to contest for the same post again.

Addressing a joint press conference today in Kampala, the lead council for Posiano Matovu, Asuman Basalilwa said they have already written to Makerere University where he says he obtained a degree in Social Science and also to Uganda Pentecostal University – Fortportal to inquire on the legality of the Diploma in IT he acquired from the
institute as well as the National Council for Higher Education to seek legality of the above education qualifications.

However, the concerned voter and a member of the NRM party, Mr. Matovu Posiano a resident of Kkingo, Senya parish, Bukoto South constituency in Lwengo district says, he does not want the party to get involved in the same mess it had last time with the same member who has no education qualifications.

Matovu through his lawyers is  also considering calling for police investigations into the matter of Haji Mbabali’s forgeries in the education papers he currently owns.

The post Hon. Hajji. Muyanja Mbabaali’s papers investigated first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Informers intimate that MP Nabukenya when she won the parliamentary post hooked new friends and forgot most of her old comrades and friends in the Democratic Party.  The party members complain that Nabukenya was so broke at the time she contested for MP and the party members fundraised funds for her electoral campaigns. But when the MP won the parliamentary seat, she forgot the people who worked a lot for her success.

An insider in the Democratic Party intimated to us that ever since Brenda Nabukenya won the seat, she forgot the party members like Maama Deo, Issa Muwonge, Kakeeto George, Peter Sempijja and others yet it were these people who moblised groups of youth from Kampala, Mukono, Mityana and Wakiso to go to Luweero and resist police brutality.

The DP members say they are ready now to rally behind the NRM district woman MP candidate in Luweero in case Nabukenya loses the case challenging her election victory.

Ends

The post DP members declare to support NRM woman MP candidate in Luweero first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The losers in Monday’s woman MP by elections in Butaleja are planning to sue the electoral commission and the government over vote rigging in favour of the National Resistance Movement candidate Florence Andiru Nebanda. The race attracted five candidates. Others were Sarah Annet Logose (independent), Betty Hamba (Independent), Perusi Munabi (independence) and Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) Felistas Namwihiri.

Logose claims that they will file a joint petition in court challenging the outcome of Monday’s voting exercise, alleging that the entire exercise was marred by ballot stuffing, intimidating opposition supporters and brutal arrest of non NRM members. Ms Andiru was declared the winner of the race by the Butaleja district electoral commission, ms Mabel Wakabi.

Ms Wakabi announced that Ms Andiru won the race with 27, 338 votes,  against Ms Betty Hamba’s 12, 157 votes, Sarah Annet Logose’s  3, 393 votes,  Felistas Namwihiri’s 3, 262 votes and Ms Perusi Munabi’s  1, 332 votes. The complaints also claim that the election registered a poor turnout allegedly due to heavy deployment of police and the army.

Ends

The post Losers in Butaleja woman MP elections threatens to sue NRM over vote rigging first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

According to the returning officer Mable Wakabi they are Betty Hamba an independent, FDC flag bearer FelistusNamuhiriri and PeruthMunaaba also an independent.

Four candidates have booked nomination time tomorrow.

They are NRM’s Florence Nebanda, expected at 9:30am, Sarah Logose at 10, Winfred Mulera expected at 11, while HadijahYenga is booked for noon.

Successfully nominated candidates will then begin their campaigns on Jan 23^rd with polls set for the 11^th of February.

Meanwhile display of the voters register also started today and will run upto the 30^th of January.

The Butaleja district woman parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of Cerinah Nebanda in December last year.

The post Three cleared to contest for Butaleja woman MP seat first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The call was made by the chairperson of the parliamentary forum on oil Theodore Sekikubo while commenting on the ongoing parliamentary discussions on the oil bills.

Sekikubo says that the continued delays not only discourage members from debating but also affects the quality of debate.

He says that according to the rules of procedure the bill should have been handled immediately when parliament resumed but up to now it hasn’t been brought up.

The post MP want Petroleum bill passed urgently first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.