The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has urged the leadership of the Uganda Red Cross Society to directly take the advocacy of the Attorney General to the Office of the Prime Minister and together work towards amending the Red Cross Act.
The present law established in 1964 has turned obsolete and redundant in addressing the modern needs of the body, particularly as concerns the financial obligations that the government should have placed on it, said the Secretary-General of the Red Cross, Robert Kwesiga.
“That legislation needs to be amended because it does not address the demands of the day; there are some elements in the law which are a bit broad, like on financial support and contribution to the society,” said Mr Kwesiga during a meeting with Speaker Among.
The Speaker acknowledged the existing gaps within the law stressing the importance of ensuring that its amendment responds to constitutional requirements. “It has been established that the amendment Bill [brought before the 10th Parliament] had not complied with Article 93 of the Constitution; it can only be introduced by the government and as Parliament, we commit to ensuring that it will be enacted in the shortest time possible,” she said.
Among said that to build the Red Cross is to develop vulnerable Ugandans who suffer the effects of disasters in places like Bududa and Kasese, where flooding and landslides often occur.
“You are always going to find the Red Cross there where a disaster occurs. You have shown providence in giving crucial humanitarian assistance to Ugandans, and you remain a key component of disaster response in the country,” she added.
Despite an existing fund arrangement with the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Kwesiga noted quite several financial challenges facing the Red Cross.
“We get limited budget support to our office through the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Health, but this has challenges. We used to get Shs11 billion from the Ministry of Health, but this Financial Year, it was reduced to Shs5 billion,” he explained. “Through the Office of the Prime Minister, we had reached an understanding of Shs12 billion, but we have never received it.”
“I have also assured the Commissioner of Parliament Hon. Mathias Mpuuga to find out from Red Cross and expedite the introduction of the amendment Bill,” Speaker Among said in a statement as she considers that the amendment would legally curtail financing gaps around the internal mechanisms that could ensure continuous sustainability supportive of the humanitarian efforts of the organization.
“This amendment will provide the legal and financial stability required for the Red Cross to continue with its critical work across Uganda,” according to her.
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