Eastern region youth legislator warned for not attending 33 Parliamentary sittings in a row

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has issued a warning letter to Ishma Mafabi asking him to stop dodging Parliamentary plenaries or he will face disciplinary committee.

Mafabi is the  Eastern region Youth representative.

According to Kadaga, Mafabi’s record of attendance has been poor – right from the second and third session of the 10th Parliament. However, what has angered her is that in the fourth session, of the 33 sittings so far, Mafabi has attended none.

Session four started after Budget reading. 

While giving her opening remarks during the 33rd sitting on Thursday, Kadaga said that some MPs are performing poorly due to their repetitive absence without her acknowledgement.

“Honourable members there are some members who are not attending plenary sittings at all. Hon Mafabi, the Youth MP Eastern,  has not attended any sitting during this session since it began. As a Speaker, I don’t know why because I have never given him any leave,” she said.

Kadaga read her letter to Mafabi before the House as one way of cautioning other members whose attendance is also poor.

It read: “Warning letter for absence without leave; I have established for the records of attendance from the members of Parliament that you have not attended any setting of the Parliament of this session with circumstances. I know that your continued absence from the House is uncontroversial on the floor on 116 rules of procedure.” 

“I’m now constrained to invoke the powers of the Speaker under rule 117 of the rules of procedure. I hereby giving you the warning to report back to the House in the next sitting. Should you fail to adhere to this warning, I shall under rule 118 of the procedure refer the matter in the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline for consideration in accordance to the law.” 

Kadaga emphasized that without the permission of the Speaker members are not supposed to go leave for more than three normal sittings of the House especially when the House has continuous sittings.