SAM EVIDENCE ORIKUNDA: Who will tell Zaake that Parliament isn’t a cinema hall?

I have watched in dismay the video of MP Zaake Francis causing drama in parliament demanding for what he called “Abducted NUP supporters”. This is not the first time MP Zaake Francis behaves same way at the floor of Parliament and I think he is always seeking attention from both the media, the public and the international community. For a person to be elected member of Parliament I believe he should be knowing how to conduct himself before the public and the person should be knowing how to express himself before his colleagues in case he has something he’s not satisfied about. What could he lose if he listened to the deputy Speaker of Parliament who is presiding officer so that he gets the guidance that the speaker wanted to give him? I believe he refused listen to the deputy speaker so that he makes noise and causes a drama scene at the floor of Parliament so that it can be captured by the camera.

I think and I feel that MP Zaake Francis is surely in a wrong place, basing on how he has been behaving for the few years he has been in parliament. During the age limit removal, him and his principle Kyagulanyi Robert alias Bobi Wine led a violence in the chambers of Parliament that ended up causing collision between the Members of Parliament and the security that protects parliament. It seems they enjoyed that game and they would want to continue doing so, Similarly, recently at the UN committee of human rights, two women who were donning NUP t-shirts stormed chambers of the UN committee in protest and made noise interfering with the proceedings of the committee, these ones were later detained by police and the chairperson of the committee made an apology to Ugandans. This means that even when one is defending the human rights or has something disturbing him, he or she must follow rules and have discipline in presenting his issues to the public. Soon the people will be made to know that these events are pre-planned and are always intended as the deputy speaker said in his remarks, these amateur politicians are always looking for political capital they get from Ugandans whom they’ve turned gullible.

At the NUP headquarters, people have been paraded and seen holding placards with the images of some individuals who they say are missing. Recently, the country was shocked when one of the people carried the image of Eric Omondi a comedian in Kenya also demanding where he is, that he is among those who have been abducted . This was a clear indication that some of those images are always doctored with an intention to appeal to the public and the foreign funders that so many supporters of NUP are missing. Zaake should also explain to the public why only selected few people are picked up by the security and not all the supporters. He should be kind enough to inform the gullible supporters that the people who are picked up by security honestly have cases to answer and the state will always account for all the people who are arrested. If anybody wants to remain free and enjoying all his rights they should stop involving themselves in any acts of criminality or any act that demeans or disrespects the government in power in a manner which is illegal or not recognized by the law. Otherwise, the government and the security forces would look useless if they didn’t deal with the individuals who involve themselves in criminal acts.

Nobody wins Presidency through causing drama. One must first of all get ideas and sell those ideas to the public. If the people buy those ideas they will support that individual and that person will obviously get the mandate of the people and be voted into power. What NUP leaders are doing is simply seeking public sympathy and trying to win the attention of the foreign funders, the people of Uganda who surely follow the events are much aware of this and those who are not aware should be to know so that they don’t be blinded folded by these politicians who are after selfish interests. Good enough, in Uganda we have opposition politicians who have never collided with security forces not because they’re pro government but because they’re disciplined and principled. People like Gen Mugisha Muntu have been in opposition for many years but you can never hear them colliding with police or causing drama anywhere. Those who are obsessed with violence have nicknamed them “moles”.

MP Zaake Francis should be helped and be told that parliament isn’t Cinema hall, he should also be reminded that the Cardinal role of being in parliament is to represent the issues of the people of Mityana Municipality who he represents in parliament. I haven’t heard him at any time, holding the microphone to speak for the people he represents, I do not know if he solved all their issues so that he can now focus on being a celebrated drama actor at the floor of the parliament of Uganda. And if he has not done enough for the people of Mityana Municipality, if at all those people still have problems with the government programs and service delivery then Zaake should be reminded that he is betraying the people who elected him member of Parliament. Government through parliament pays MP Zaake for that particular job of representing the people of his Constituency and when a person is paid he should do what he is meant to do, if the person doesn’t do so then he should either resign or return the money.

The writer is a deputy RDC Sheema District.