The Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has suspended five Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Unity Platform (NUP) for three days. The suspended MPs are Francis Zaake (Mityana Municipality), Betty Nambooze (Mukono Municipality), Joyce Bagala (Mityana district), Derrick Nyeko (Makindye East), and Frank Kabuye (Kasanda South).
The suspension was executed without a specific explanation, with Tayebwa referring to rule 89(4) of the Parliament of Uganda’s rules of procedure as the basis for their suspension.
According to Rule 89(4), if a member is suspended, the duration of the suspension is as follows:
- On the first occasion in a session, it is for the next three sittings, excluding the sitting in which the suspension occurred.
- On the second occasion in a session, it is for the next seven sittings, excluding the sitting in which the suspension occurred.
- On the third and any subsequent occasion during the same session, it is for the next 28 sittings of the house, excluding the sitting in which the member was suspended.
Following the suspension of the MPs, the Speaker adjourned the House.
Prior to the suspension, a video tabled by the leader of the opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, in response to the government’s statement about the recent interception of NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi at Entebbe Airport on October 5 could not be played due to technical difficulties.
In the government’s statement, it defended Kyagulanyi’s interception by security operatives, asserting that his supporters had intentions to march to State House Entebbe.
Reacting to the suspension of his fellow MPs, Mpuuga suggested that the Speaker’s action was intended to intimidate opposition members. He emphasized that the suspension was unlikely to deter the opposition’s resolve to continue their political activities in Parliament.
