OPINION BY EDWARD KOMAKECH
THE Nyabushozi County Member of Parliament, Rtd. Col. Fred Mwesigye became the first legislator to give his view on the unprecedented drama that unfolded on the floor of Parliament on 2nd June, 2020 when the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah stormed session being chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
Col. Mwesigye, the accomplished NRA historical, in an opinion in the Daily Monitor of 17th June 2020 did not depict his position against Kadaga but perilously supported the earsplitting misconduct of Oulanyah.
The legislator said that his opinion titled “Deputy Speaker knows Procedures” was instigated by an earlier opinion written by Parliament’s assistant director of communications, Helen Nanteza Kawesa. The riposte opinion spent 90 percent of the space feebly lodging on what prompted the Deputy Speaker to err, not the blunder itself that has left the country thunderstruck on the apparent conduct of Oulanyah.
Copiously aware that the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker are banned by Rules of Procedures of Parliament from taking part in debate or vote, Col. Mwesigye conveniently opined that Oulanyah had to “take the extraordinary step” to attend the plenary. The legislator clearly failed to rationalize the “extraordinary” loophole but had to revisit the ostensibly elapsing Shs 10bn contention.
Armed with Masters of Peace and Conflict Resolution from the East Africa’s prestigious Makerere University, Col. Mwesigye, 63, could have at least sought for a reconciliatory approach but not imported fuel into the waning flame.
It will forever remain the record of this country that Oulanyah was the only post-independence presiding officer who stormed a session being chaired by another presiding officer, and not because there was a national concern but to settle a personal matter. It effectively confirmed that the Deputy Speaker can do anything, including sacrificing the integrity of the National Assembly, to settle his personal scores, a dangerous trait that should be cautiously watched.
Col. Mwesigye’s opinion has been followed by a relatively similar but extremely derogatorily worded opinion in one of the news websites currently being used against the Speaker.
The writer is a staunch follower and fan of Parliament. komakech1980@gmail.com
