Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, has firmly stated her decision not to comply with a request from the National Unity Platform (NUP) regarding the removal of Nyendo-Mukungwe MP Mathias Mpuuga from the Parliamentary Commission.
The request, made by NUP Secretary General David Rubongoya to substitute Mpuuga with MP Francis Zaake, was met with resistance from Among. She clarified that political parties, by law, do not possess the authority to recall a commissioner from Parliament.
Referring to various sections of Parliament’s procedural rules, Among, in a strongly worded response letter to Rubongoya, emphasized that the role of parties is limited to nominating candidates. She cited Section 2 of the Administration of Parliament Act, Cap 257, and rule 11 (4) of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, asserting that Parliamentary Commissioners are elected by Parliament itself, not by parties.
“Section 5 of the Administration of Parliament Act specifies the grounds for which a commissioner can be removed,” Among reiterated. These grounds include inability to perform functions due to physical or mental infirmity, misconduct, or incompetence.
Among elaborated that according to rule 110 (2) of the Rules of Procedure, the process for removing a commissioner requires a motion initiated by a written notice signed by less than one-third of all voting members of Parliament, totaling 177 members.
Rubongoya’s letter, dated March 18, 2024, urged the Speaker to remove Mpuuga and replace him with Francis Zaake. He cited the party’s decision to withdraw Mpuuga’s nomination and nominated Zaake instead.
In response, Among defended Mpuuga, stating that he has neither vacated his parliamentary seat nor been found guilty by Parliament for any of the specified reasons. Therefore, she concluded that NUP’s request lacks legal foundation, and she cannot act upon it.
