Chairpersons of the parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs were on Thursday a no-show having lied to parliament that their report on Kasese clashes was ready.
Judith Nabakooba (Mityana Woman MP) who is chairperson of the committee and her deputy Kezekia Mbogo (Budaka County) shunned parliament sitting after the latter on Wednesday lied to MPs that their report was ready for presentation and debate.
Last year, parliament ordered the Defence committee to investigate the March and November, 2017 clashes in Rwenzori where over 100 people were killed. The committee was among others tasked to investigate and present a report on the 26th and 27th November 2016, where joint security forces of the Uganda People’ Defense Force (UPDF) and Uganda Police Force (UPF) raided Rwenzururu palace and killed over 100 people leading to the subsequent arrest of the Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere.
However, on Thursday, parliament included the item on the Order Paper where the committee bosses were supposed to present their report for debate having confirmed that their report was ready. But to MPs’ dismay, Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah who chaired the sitting revealed that he had received information that the report was not ready despite MP Kezekia’s Wednesday submission that the report was ready.
“We should avoid certain situations. Yesterday (Wednesday), the Vice-chair stood up and said the report was ready. When I went back to my office I called the clerk to confirm that the report was ready and it turned out that the report has not even been drafted yet I put it on the Order Paper today,” Oulanyah said.
Oulanyah asked committee chairs to take their duties seriously in order to avoid delaying parliament business.
“So please let’s take it as our responsibility to finish matters that are before the committees in time. Complete the task so that parliament can take a decision other than playing these kind of games,” Oulanyah added.
Oulanyah’s endeavors to call on floor Nabakooba or Kezekia to substantiate were futile, as none of the members were available in the chambers.
