The Youth Representative, Eastern, Hon. Ishma Mafabi, could lose his seat over continued absence from the sittings of the House.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga made the directive in a warning to the legislator and the House on Thursday, 12 September 2019. She said that members who do not attend plenary sittings and continuously absent themselves from the House, are in contravention of rule 111(6) of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.
“There is a Member who attended poorly in the second and third sessions without the leave of the Speaker. This session, he has not come at all. I have established from the records of attendance of Members of Parliament that you (Mafabi) have not attended any sitting of the House this session,” said Kadaga.
Rule 111 (6) of the Rules of Procedure state that “Except with the permission of the Speaker, a Member shall not absent himself or herself from 15 or more sittings of the House during any period when the House is continuously meeting”.
Kadaga added that she would invoke the powers of the Speaker under rule 111(7) of the Rules of Procedure.
“I hereby give you a warning for your continued absence from this House and accordingly require you to attend the House at the next sitting of Parliament,” Kadaga said.
She added that if Mafabi fails to heed to the warning, the matter would be referred to the Committee on Rules, Privileges sand Discipline for consideration in accordance with rule 111(8) of the Rules of procedure.
