Former Speaker Kadaga, Oulanyah clash over unsigned parliament bills

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The former Speaker of Parliament, currently Minister for East African Community Affairs, Mrs. Rebecca Kadaga has responded to Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s ‘ruling’ to recall bills that were not signed by the President saying parliament has rules that guide a transition.

Oulanyah two weeks ago directed that all Bills passed by the 10th Parliament but not signed by President Yoweri Museveni will be re-tabled for fresh discussions.

Citing rule 235 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, Oulanyah said that a Bill, petition or motion, or other business before the House or committee lapses upon resolution of Parliament and therefore echoed the need for them to be re-tabled before the house for discussion.

“Business of the 10th Parliament that remained incomplete lapsed when the term of Parliament ended. Any member or government who has desires of having business of the 10th Parliament that wasn’t completed by the end of that Parliament should have the business reintroduced in the House and the business shall begin afresh,” he said.

Adding that the difficulty to track the timelines as required in Rules of Procedure to execute these assignments is a limiting factor.

However, in response to his remarks, Rebecca Kadaga who is now the First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for East African Community Affairs said this undermines the parliamentary rules and procedures that guide a transition from one term to another.

“It is unfortunate that there have been attempts to circumvent rule 235 of the Rules of Procedure of parliament which would have guided the transition from the 10th to the 11th parliament. Once a bill is returned No new matter may be introduced,” Kadaga said in a tweet.

“The NSSF bill should have been reprinted in its original form. The review of the bill should be limited to the clauses referred by the President,” she added.

Some of the bills to be re-tabled for parliamentary discussion include;

1. The Succession Amendment Bill 2020.
2. National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Bill.
3. The Sexual Offences Bill, the Succession Bill.
4. The National Health Insurance.
5. The Fisheries Amendment Bill 2020.
6. National Climate Change Bill 2020.