NEWS EDITOR
PARLIAMENT
YESTERDAY during the 3rd sitting of the 3rd meeting of the 1st session of the 11th Parliament, Rubaga South MP Aloysius Mukasa moved the whole August House when he asked Parliament to task the Minister of Internal Affairs to explain how well Police fire brigade is prepared to deal with fire outbreaks in the country.
Commissioner of Parliament Hon. Francis Butebi Zaake has hailed fellow National Unity Platform member of Parliament Aloysius Mukasa for his bravery and fluency while raising such a matter of National Importance.
Hon. Zaake who is serving his second term as Mityana Municipality legislator thanked Rubaga South voters for entrusting Hon. Aloysius Mukasa and revealed to us how NUP is very proud of this Member of Parliament. He in fact told us, such MPs like Hon. Mukasa can’t be replaced.
In a parliamentary sitting presided over by Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, MP Mukasa told Parliament that before Parliament went into recess last year in December, he raised a matter relating to the preparedness of Police Fire Brigade in responding to emergencies such as fire outbreaks in Uganda. He was seeking an elaborate response front the Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs on the matter.
“Rt. Hon. Speaker, I was referring to rampant fire outbreaks in which many lives have been lost and property worth billions destroyed.” Said Hon. Mukasa.
Speaking with an American accent amidst ululation from the excited Hon. Members, Hon. Mukasa told Parliament that the rate at which fire is gutting down businesses is alarming and yet the poorly planned mushrooming storeyed buildings which are being erected across the country, the many housing structures which do not allow access of fire emergency by police fire brigade especially in slum areas and the slow response by police fire Brigade are rendering the problem unmanageable.
“Since December when I raised this very matter Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, the country has witnessed an escalation of serious fire incidences especially in school domitories where innocent young pupils perished in fires and uncountable property destroyed!” Said Rubaga South legislator.
Hon. Mukasa reffered to five pupils who died in a fire on 15th January 2022 which gutted New Crest Junior at Kibedi Day and Boarding Primary School in Kawempe Divion,Kampala District and another one at St. John’s Primary School in Kyotera district.
About ten days later, where fire gutted another dormitory.
“As leaders, we just can’t fold our hands and look on as our children continue being killed by such fires and property worth billions lost.” Said Hon. Mukasa urging that something must be done urgently.
Speaking to this news website shortly after Parliament yesterday, commissioner Zaake said, “My brother Hon. Mukasa has persistently raised very pertinent matters and for today, it was concerning fire outbreaks in the country where lives and property are lost while government is mute.” Zaake added, “The people who voted NUP are hopeful that we will task those who collect taxes from them to put up measures which can be used for emergencies during fire outbreaks. I salute my colleague for disapproving enemies of change who had thought we came here for jokes”.
Without mincing words Hon. Zaake said, with a team of hardworking MPs like Hon. Aloysius Mukasa, the NUP party feels energised and will be able to foster people’s needs without fear or favour. “Mukasa is standing out to be one of the best members of Parliament in articulating issues. We are very grateful for his performance and ask him to keep it up.” Said Hon. Zaake who is remembered for raising such matters of National importance even when he was serving his first term in Parliament.
During one of the sittings in the 10th Parliament, tears of mostly female members of Parliament rolled down when Hon. Zaake narrated a touching sad story of an expectant mother who died at Mityana government hospital at the hands of a corrupt midwife who demanded 5000 from the husband of this woman before she touches his wife.
The husband pleaded that he didn’t have even a single coin at a moment but would bring the money later when day breaks.
The nurse refused and the man went out to look for the money. By the time he returned, his wife was no more.
The MP was talking about negligence, incompetence and corruption at this government facility which had caused many pregnant women to lose lives.
Among those who cheered Hon. Zaake on was then Government Chiefwhip Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu who had also lost a relative from the same hospital due to negligence.
Zaake now says, all NUP MPs should stand up and be counted, public has hope in them.
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