The leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga has said Robinah Nabbanja sbould understand that she is no longer a Resident District Commissioner (RDC) but a Prime Minister who is answerable to every Ugandan.
On Tuesday the plenary was prematurely ended following Mpuuga’s discontent over Nabbanja’s lacking way of responding to issues regarding the arrest of MPs Allan Ssewanyana (NUP, Makindye West) and Muhammad Ssegirinya (NUP, Kawempe North) without informing the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah or his Deputy Anita Among.
Following the request of the speaker to understand what happened to his members without him being informed, Nabbanja came out and explain to the House.
“Honorable colleagues it’s true Hon Ssegirinya and Hon Ssewanyana were re-arrested, one was re-arrested the other day and another one yesterday. It’s also true that Hon Ssewanyana yesterday had a statement and was interrogated at Kireka CID in the presence of his lawyers today Hon Ssegirinya is also going to be interrogated by CID in the presence of his lawyers. Rt Hon Speaker we know that you were supposed to be notified and this information is coming,” the Prime Minister said.
However, to Mpuuga, Nabbanja’s submission looked like an insult to the entire August House, as well as to the entire country.
“Rt, Hon Speaker these are the kind of indulgences as leaders of our people try to avoid, when I saw the Prime minister coming here I had a warm heart that finally a mother is around to speak to the country but I was disappointed,l. Between citizens and an entirely criminal state, the Parliament should be the firewall and on my side, I’m constrained to hear the leader of Government business with nothing to tell the house. In that circumstance Mr. Speaker we will not join illegality. Since she has nothing to communicate when the rights of the citizens are being abused, I’m constrained to withdraw my team from this vulgar debate,”Mpuuga said.
While addressing journalists on Wednesday, Mpuuga added that Nabbanja has failed to understand the duties of the office she holds.
“She has failed to understand that she is no longer the usual RDC, she must understand the power on her shoulders.”
Meanwhile, Oulanyah was also not happy with the re-arresting of his members without being notified.
“There is a problem…Members have been rearrested without the authority of the Speaker…even notification was not given to the Speaker,” said Oulanyah.
“It’s problematic when each time we find ourselves in this situation, it disturbs even the presiding officer; there are things that should be avoided; the Constitution is clear and all the supporting laws made under that constitution are clear…why flout them?” he said.
He added, ‘just why flout them…what is the emergency? Because when you do, we end up like this and you give the people with bad intentions excuse to do the things they have been longing to do; can we just do things right? It costs nothing to do the right thing within the law at the right time.”
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