(Kampala) – If you thought Parliament was just about serious debates and the occasional political drama, think again. On Wednesday morning, Uganda’s House of Representatives transformed into something straight out of a local wrestling ring, complete with punches and an ambulance. Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake found himself on the receiving end of some solid fist to face action courtesy of his fellow MP, Anthony Akol.
Zaake, not content with merely making noise in the Chamber, decided to address what he thought was a matter of national security. He raised a point of order, claiming that there was a gun in the House. “Madam Speaker, there is a gun in the house!” he declared, probably hoping for some dramatic action, but instead, he was met with the cold reality of parliamentary procedures. The Speaker of the House, Anita Among, quickly cleared up the situation by confirming that the ‘gunman’ was, in fact, her own bodyguard.
Zaake was not convinced. He did not trust the results of the official security check, so he decided to conduct his own investigation. Unfortunately, his investigation didn’t lead to any major discoveries, but it did lead to a physical confrontation with Akol, who apparently had zero patience for Zaake’s new found occupation as a private investigator.
What followed was less “debate” and more “boxing match,” as Akol threw punches at Zaake, causing him to hit the floor faster than a Ugandan football player diving for a penalty kick. MPs rushed to break up the brawl, and soon after, Zaake was wheeled out of the House, his pride and face bruised, and rushed to the hospital.
And just like that, the Speaker called for a 30 minute break to let the MPs cool off—though it was more likely for them to figure out who would to place bets on.
This is not Zaake’s first encounter with physical harm in Parliament. Back in 2017, Zaake had been sent to the hospital after being punched by General Katumba Wamala, and one might wonder if Zaake has a special relationship with the Parliament’s emergency services at this point.
But don’t let the punches distract you too much—the reason behind all this drama was the contentious National Coffee Amendment Bill. The Bill aims to mainstream the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, which has caused quite a stir in Parliament. The opposition and the Buganda Caucus are fiercely against it, and as usual, MPs are acting like kids fighting over a piece of rolex that no one wants to share. But instead of negotiations, Ugandans have been given got a free martial arts film trailer.
The situation got so tense that some MPs started questioning the security situation around Parliament, especially with the heightened military presence that was more intense than a village market on market day. Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda even raised the issue, calling for everyone in the building to be searched. After all, when MPs can’t even agree on a cup of coffee (literally), what is stopping them from smuggling something more dangerous into the House?
The Speaker managed to restore order by suspending 12 MPs, including Zaake and Akol, for their role in the fight. She invoked Rule 88(2), effectively kicking the MPs out of the Chamber for three consecutive sittings. That should give them some time to cool off and perhaps attend a few anger management classes, or maybe even a Parliament etiquette course.
If this is how the atmosphere around the National Coffee Amendment Bill is brewing, Ugandans might want to stock up on popcorn before the next session, because clearly, these chambers are already charged.
