Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has issued a stern warning to sickly Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze over absenteeism from parliamentary business.
In a letter dated June 07, Kadaga revealed that Nambooze who will today be flown to India for further treatment absented herself from 19 out of the 23 meetings of the Committee on Public Service and Local Government without permission.
“This is therefore to notify that persistent absence from Committee activities in the next Session will attract proceedings against you under Rules 111(7) and 112(2) of the Rules of Procedure,” Kadaga said in her letter.
Kadaga said that the bulk of parliamentary work is done in the Committees of Parliament and as a result most of the work in plenary comes from committees and therefore, failure by a committee to effectively handle business before it adversely affects the performance of Parliament in general.
“Your absence from the meetings of the committee affected its work and undermined the performance of Parliament in general,” Kadaga said.
Rule111(6) of the Rules of Parliament state that, “Except with the permission of the Speaker, a Member shall not absent himself or herself from fifteen or more sittings of the House during any period when the House is continuously meeting.”
In September last year during the age limit debate at Parliament, Nambooze was manhandled by security operatives in the chambers and severely injured leading to her admission in India hospital. She spent a bigger part of her times in the hospital.
In May, Kadaga vowed to name and shame absentee ministers and MPs who have perennially missed plenary and committee sittings.
While holding a live Tweet Chat to discuss about the performance of the House in the 2nd session ending in June, Kadaga said that she spent the weekend preparing the list of absentees and will this week issue letters to the affected members. Apparently, several MPs and ministers who regularly miss parliamentary work have been issued with such warning letters.
