The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has appealed to Members of Parliament to attend a meeting with the Education Minister and First Lady Janet Museveni, saying it is an opportunity to discuss school reopening.
Oulanyah made the remarks during his communication during the plenary sitting on 23 November 2021.
His statement comes on the backdrop of a heated concern from MPs over the decision by Mrs Museveni to summon them to Kololo Independence Grounds to discuss about school reopening on Wednesday 24, November.
Although the MPs say that they are against being subjected to the COVID-19 tests frequently, they also question the arrangement the Education Minister will use to host MPs.
Now Oulanyah who appealed to the members to conduct the COVID-19 test and meet with the Minister also guided that the sitting will be a semi-parliamentary one steered by him.
“It will be a semi-parliamentary sitting. Semi in the sense that I will be presiding without a Whip; it is a mix breed kind of thing. I will be in the Chair, but it will not be a formal parliamentary sitting because they have invited other people like Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and others to also come and be part of this so that the same message is passed at once,” Oulanyah said.
He says Ugandans have prayed for the opening of schools and this is an opportunity for the members to participate in the process of school reopening looking at the challenges Ugandan students have faced during the lockdown.
Oulanyah said that following concerns of the request by the First Lady to host members, there have been use of very strong language which should not be used.
He says that every single day that Parliament has sat, there has been several requests and concerns from members on the schools reopening.
“It has been a very difficult time for this category of people, and for you members of Parliament these questions have been asked. Many of you every single day that Parliament sits, there is a request to raise something about schools reopening. They have prayed about it even in churches and Mosques, the opportunity we have is to attend this meeting,” Oulanyah said.
The Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga said that the Speaker’s Communication has guided that, ‘the Speaker will be presiding over the sitting, but what sticks is that there will be a sitting of Parliament which will therefore, put into perspective the consequence of the debate that will ensue’.
“What is the nature, form, input, and shape of the debate by members? When members debate on Ministers statements, they will cause debate and effect change on the position of the Minister. What is the inhibition of the Minister of Education coming and addressing Parliament?” he questioned.
Oulanyah responding to Mpuuga said that it will not be the first time that MPs have continued with discussions of things that have happened in the House outside of Parliament. He cited when President Museveni addressed Parliament on security and a meeting was convened at the Prime Minister’s conference facility and a debate was held.
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (FDC, Kiira Municipality) said that for the sake of the institution of Parliament, the members should not be persuaded to go for the meeting. He questioned under which rule the meeting will be convened aside from Rule 52 which requires Ministers to make statements in the House.
“We have just processed a supplementary and the Minister of Finance did not call Parliament anywhere. All the Ministers appeared before the budget committee,” he said.
Ssemujju also wondered over what will happen if a new window of semi-parliament sitting is opened.
Kalungu West MP, Joseph Ssewungu said that Parliament is setting a dangerous precedent where MPs are being summoned by Ministers.
“The preparation for the meeting is above a Shs1 billion. That money could be used to prepare the opening of schools instead,” Ssewungu said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education later called off the meeting that had been scheduled to take place at Kololo Airstrip.
The Ministry announced the postponement on its social media handles.
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