Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has organized a meeting to discuss the ongoing deadlock in parliament with the Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, and 40 senior members of parliament. This deadlock has led to the adjournment of two consecutive plenary sessions.
The primary issue under debate in parliament revolves around the treatment of NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, who was intercepted at Entebbe International Airport, and the events that transpired involving his supporters and journalists on October 5th, 2023.
Acting Leader of the Opposition for the day, Muwanga Kivumbi, demanded an immediate government explanation regarding the events surrounding Bobi Wine’s return. He threatened to lead opposition members out of the session if his request wasn’t met, a statement that drew disapproval from Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Government efforts to present their statement on this matter have faced opposition, and initially, the session was disrupted by Rakai woman representative Julliet Kinyamatama, who alleged that Mityana municipality legislator Francis Zaake had defamed her and Ssemwanga Gyavira in Rakai District via a social video recording. This led to the suspension of proceedings after female MPs protested against Zaake.
Furthermore, the House adjourned early the previous day when Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga accused the parliamentary IT department of sabotaging his documented video evidence regarding the mistreatment of NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and his supporters.
Mpuuga claimed that he had submitted a clear video recording to the IT Department but learned that the person responsible for IT had disappeared at a crucial moment when the video was to be played. This revelation caused disorder and unrest among the opposition, which ultimately resulted in the suspension of five opposition members of parliament, namely Francis Zaake, Betty Nambooze, Joyce Bagala, Derrick Nyeko, and Kabuye Frank. This suspension followed a vote that determined whether the documented video would be allowed to be played during the parliamentary session, with the opposition losing the vote.
