PHOTO: Kilak South Constituency MP Gilbert Oulanya (left) and other Acholi MPs have disassociated themselves from threats made by their colleagues yesterday to block NUP from accessing Acholi Subregion

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA

SIX members of Parliament who held a presser at Parliament yesterday and threatened to block opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party leaders from accessing Acholi Subregion, are in hot soup!
A group of Acholi Members of Parliament have reacted strongly, disassociating from threats made by their colleagues against NUP Party. They have accused Kilak North consitituency MP. Anthony Akol and his team for playing partisan and tribal politics which they have vowed never to be part of.
Acholi MPs have demanded that Akol, as the Chairman Acholi Parliamentary Group apologises to the country and NUP party or they force him to resign. 
In a Statement released by Kilak South Constituency MP Gilbert Oulanya, who is on frontline in a campaign against abduction, detention, torture and killing of Ugandans, has categorically put it clear that the views and opinions expressed by a fraction of ‘Acholi MPs’ during a press conference on Tuesday does not in any way reflect the position of all  MPs from Acholi subregion and should be treated as individuals’ tale.
Hon. Gilbert Oulanya statement reads, “The alleged demonstration by NUP’s supporters in the US totally had nothing to do with the personality of the Rt. Hon Jacob Oulanyah as an individual but rather a clear message to the Government of Uganda to improve on its healthcare system for all as projected in its national development plan.”
Without mincing words, Hon. Gilbert Oulanya said, “Those MPs headed by Anthony Akol, the chairman Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) made very ambiguous accusation that taints our external relation goals and well being as Acholi.”
“For not being partisan and tribalistic, I implore the team to refrain from making such unnecessary statements in the name of APG. If they continue, then some of us who are clear minded will have no option but leave and form an independent coalition of right minded people who are objective and focused on the principles of unity and national development.” Reads statement by Kilak South MP.
He applauded all those MPs who refused to join the bandwagon purporting to be speaking for and on behalf of the Acholi people.
“Uganda and Ugandans must act as one. No one has a right of blocking any political party from doing it’s mobilisation work wherever they choose too. Hon. Akol as chairman, APG must apologize to Ugandans and NUP immediately, failure to do so, we shall call for his resignation, immediately.” Writes MP Oulanya Gilbert 
The MP says, “There would be no need of sending high profile dignitaries including MPs, Ministers, Speakers, PS, Ambassadors and  Presidents abroad if the country had invested in equitable and sustainable health care system. The plea now is to at least improve on the existing health care facilities in a move to bridge the realised gaps with huge cost implication levied on the shoulder of innocent and vulnerable tax payers.” 
He noted that, all regional health facilities from North to East, West to South and Central Uganda simply need an upgrade.
He says, with this at hand, all citizens will feel confident and proud of systems in place notwithstanding  the need to pay our doctors well beyond the pocket change they are earning now.
Looking at the labour export market in Uganda today, Hon. Oulanya noted that, Uganda’s highly skilled doctors are on transition to foreign land in search for better pasture.
He stated that, there is need for government to take on a deliberate move and walk the talk as stated by the president time and again about improving the working conditions of scientist  in Uganda. 
“Less of that, we will live in illusion and languish in tears as is and will be.” Writes Kilak South MP.

NUP CAN’T BE BLOCKED IN ACHOLI – MP OJARA
Another legislator Okin PP Ojara, MP Chua West in Kitgum District, Acholi has weighed in and distanced himself from what Hon. Akol and other Acholi MPs said yesterday.
Hon. Ojara has referred to the threat to block NUP from Acholi Subregion as joke of the year.
He asked how can a registered political party under article 71 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda as amended be blocked  from carrying out its political activities in Acholi Subregion?
“As a National Political figure from Acholi Subregion, I find this statement sensational, emotional and recklessly driven. Given the fact that as Acholi Mps we can’t determine the conduct of any political party in our Subregion.” Revealed Chua West MP.
He reminded Hon. Akol and his colleagues that all registered political parties are legally binding. 
“Therefore, I strongly disassociate myself from that statement and inform NUP leadership and any other political parties in the country that Acholi Subregion is part and parcel of Uganda.” Writes Hon. Ojara.
He told NUP that the statement issued by the members led by Akol is not a true representation of all the views of the MPs but rather for those who subscribe to that school of thought.
Ojara says, “I am  also cognizant of the fact that all political parties by law are required to operate anywhere and everywhere in the country so as  to ascertain a National character.”

DON’T ACHOLINISE EVERYTHING – SANTA OKOT
Aruu North Constituency legislator in Pader Sant Okok shares the same school of thought with colleagues who demand an apology from MP Akol and group.
Hon. Okot believes Acholi MP must behave as National leaders but not Acholinizing everything.
“The campaign and condemnation on torture in general and human right violation should continue by all including  those in Apaa without diversion.” Writes MP Santa Okot.

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PHOTO: Deputy Speaker presiding over Parliament yesterday

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA

THOSE speculating about the illness of the Rt. Hon. Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, should pose a bit and read this! 
A few hours to yesterday’s plenary,  Speaker Oulanyah who traveled abroad last week for further medical attention as advised by his family doctors called his deputy Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and asked her to extend his greetings to Hon. Members of Parliament.
Delivering this message to House members yesterday,  the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker asked members and the country at large to ignore what she termed as ‘social media lugambo’ speculating over health status of the Speaker, “He is positively responding to the treatment, I have just talked to him hours ago and he asked me to send his greetings to you all.”
“Tell all MPs, I love them”, Speaker Oulanyah calls his deputy Anita.
This communication came at a time when the House and Country at large were asking questions about the health of Oulanyah following what is trending on social media.
Deputy Speaker said, “I wish to inform the Country that the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Jacob Oulanyah has been unwell for the last two weeks. During that period he was receiving medical attention from Mulago National Referral Hospital.”
She told House that, the Medical Experts at Mulago in consultation with his personal doctors, decided to refer him for further specialised medical attention out of the country. 
“Subsequently on Friday, 4th February 2022, the Rt Hon. Oulanyah travelled out of the country. We pray for his speedy and complete recovery.” Among who presided over yesterday’s sitting said, calming down members of parliament especially from Acholi Sub region where Oulanyah comes from.
Meanwhile,  Deputy Speaker yesterday congratulated the Minister of Justice, the Attorney General, the legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee, the shadow Attorney General, the opposition side and all the honourable MPs for all the input that made it possible to pass the Succession Amendments Bill 2021.
This bill was passed yesterday awaiting President Museveni’s accent.

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PHOTO: Kilak South Constituency in Acholi MP Gilbert Oulanya (left) standing in solidarity with opposition colleagues at Parliament led by LOP to boycott Plenary over Abduction, detention and torture of Ugandans. His fellow MP Akol from Kilak North Constituency defied!

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA 

THE Leader of Opposition (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba has blasted Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Kilak North Constituency Member of Parliament Anthony Akol for what he calls defying opposition stand to boycott plenary over Human Rights situation in the country.
In a tweet by the Leader of opposition, whereas all opposition members of Parliament boycotted yesterday’s sitting, it’s only this MP Akol who stood out as lone opposition Member siding with the oppressor.
“We shall know them by their actions”, tweeted angry LOP Mpuuga.
Last week, opposition Members of Parliament led by their LOP walked out of Parliament protesting continued detention, torture and killing of Ugandans especially opposition politicians and supporters by security organs in the country.
Cases of abduction, detention, torture and killing of opposition politicians and supporters are on rise in Uganda.  In fact, Parliament led by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among has strongly condemned acts of torture and urgently want this to stop because it’s against Uganda’s constitution.
Now, in yesterday’s presser at Parliament, opposition unanimously resolved to maintain the boycott and even launched a move to censure Hon. Jim Muhwezi, the Security minister for failing to perform his duties. The Leader of opposition (LOP) has lodged an official notice to the clerk of Parliament and officially informed the office of the Speaker of Parliament. Yesterday morning, LOP Mathias Mpuuga convened a shadow cabinet meeting at Parliament from where they resolved to censure security minister Jim Muhwezi. If the censure motion is successful, this will be the second time Muhwezi is censured.

Over one hundred opposition MPs including those from Acholi sub region like Kilak South MP Gilbert Oulanya where Akol comes from, were joined by other members of Parliament to boycott the plenary. Shockingly, Hon. Akol defied the opposition position and attended.
This angered Leader of Opposition, referring to him as a deserter whose actions are uncalled for if they are to have team work and solidarity in the 11th Parliament.

MP AKOL SHOOTS BACK
In his tweet replying to LOP Mpuuga, Hon. Akol said, “The leader of opposition lacks focus. I and Hon. Akello Lucy the Woman MP Amuru district consulted him that we have issues concerning Acholi sub region in House i.e Apaa Land conflict, cattle rustling and issues of Rt. Hon. Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. What step did you take as LOP?”

MP Akol’s full statement reads: I am the chairman of Acholi Parliamentary Group, I had 3 issues concerning my people;

1. Issue of Apaa where 4 people were killed. I raised the issue on Tuesday last week and the response from Government was today (Tuesday).
2. I raised the issue of the health of Rt Hon Speaker to the Deputy Speaker. Deputy speaker decided to communicate on that and I had issues to be raised on the matter.
3. Three people were killed in Agago District by cattle Restlers and the matter was comming today (Tuesday). I and my Woman MP, Akello Lucy consulted LOP to allow us attend only today’s session which he refused.
   I am in Opposition by choice and i didn’t consult Hon Mpuuga when i was going to pick my nomination form. I consulted my voters who are being killed since 2012. In 2017 over 14 people were killed in Apaa, we lost 3 people killed in August last year.  I account to my voters who brought me to parliament but Hon Mpuuga can’t make me a member of Parliament for Kilak North. Do you think he was going to walk out of the house at the time of the killings in Masaka?
   When you talk about Human Rights violation in this country,  my record is clear when I wrote minority report on Nalufenya torture chamber which was closed because of my minority report. I am a straight forward politician who will speak the same thing day time and even at night. No body will push me to NRM with that kind of loose talk.
   I have respect for Hon Mpuuga but I think he should revise his method of work. What was wrong for him to call me to his office first other than going straight to attack me on social media. Any attack on me on issues of Acholi is attack on Acholi sub region.

LOP’S OFFICE POURS COLD WATER ON AKOL’S DEFENCE
Mr. Sadab Kitatta Kaaya, the communications officer office of Leader of opposition poured cold water on Hon. Akol’s defence.
Kitatta said it is not true that Hon. Lucy Akello attended yesterday’s plenary as Hon. Akol wants public to believe. It’s only Akol who attended, but all opposition MPs even those from Acholi Sub region boycotted. So Akol can’t be more Acholi than his colleagues who come from that region.
Sadab said, “As an ex-officio member of the Shadow Cabinet, Hon. Lucy Akello has been part of all the opposition planning meetings including today’s meeting shortly before the Press Conference. She left with Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi to go for a COSASE meeting. I can authoritatively say that she didn’t ask the LOP for permission to attend Plenary but instead told the meeting to include the people abducted from Apaa on the list of the missing persons.” 
He clarified, “Hon. Lucy Akello reported that 26 youths had been abducted from Apaa, and, she said, ‘Apaa is one polling station were Hon Kyagulanyi overwhelmingly defeated M7 even when he didn’t have agents there.’ This is the Akello, Hon. Akol says that she with him attended yesterday’s plenary which is false.”

HOW PUBLIC ATTACKED MP AKOL
Isa Kato (NRM): Hon. Akol is just wasting time on petty issues. We must think as a Country. Did this barbarian come out to complain when Women were being killed in Wakiso and other parts of Buganda? These primitive politicians must not be given chance to promote their primitivity. Let all Ugandans stand together when issues arise.
Moses Kyeyune (journalist): Apaa issue is merely an Acholi affair but not a national issue. On table there’s a national crisis about torture and illegal detentions. Mixing things would be diversionary.

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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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