On Wednesday after a long and heated debate, Members of Parliament unanimously accepted to name the Institute for Parliamentary studies after the current Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga.
The motion came as a result of the debate that occurred on 29th May 2019 where the Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal, tabled the Institute of Parliamentary studies bill 2019 calling for the naming of the institute after Kadaga.
On Tuesday some MPs from the committee analysing bills didn’t agree with Ogwal’s opinion and argued that the bill be passed without renaming the institute. They said that the Parliamentary committee will rename it administratively, a motion which was not welcomed by almost half of the House.
On Wednesday resilient legislators took the floor and opposed the committee’s motion which led to a lengthy debate about who should be renamed after the institute.
Bukonjo West MP Atkins Katusabe agreed with those who opposed it saying that it is improper to have the institute named after a Speaker who is still serving but immediately he was shunned by women MPs.
Elizabeth Karungi Woman MP Kanungu told the House that Kadaga deserves to be named after the institute because of the tireless services she has rendered to the country through Parliament.
“She has championed girl child empowerment, personally touched the lives of Members of Parliament and championed sports among others, it is because of Kadaga that there is a daycare for children and Women are comfortable in parliament,” she said.
Others supported the motion saying that Kadaga has been their guiding mother while in the Parliament. While others praised her of not being biased like her predecessor Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
After a long heated debate which stopped due to time, MPs without exception agreed to pass the bill as it is but also accepted to rename the institute after Kadaga. ‘ Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga institute of Parliamentary studies’
According to Ogwal, the essence of the Bill is to establish the Institute of Parliamentary Studies as a one-stop classified resource centre for the training and capacity development of Members and Staff of Parliament of Uganda, Local Councils and other Legislatures within the region.
Kadaga joined Parliament in 1989 as a Member of Parliament for Kamuli District in the District Woman’s Constituency, in 2001 she was elected Deputy Speaker of Parliament until 19 May 2011, when she was elected full Speaker, becoming the first-ever female Speaker of Parliament in Uganda.
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