Updates on the Uganda Parliament.

During the 6th Sitting of the 2nd Meeting of the Session of the 11th Parliament. The Rt. Hon. Anitah Among chaired this meeting. In her communication, the Speaker appealed to the Minister of Finance to ensure that the Budget Framework Paper for the next FY 23/24 is tabled by the 15th of December 2022. “This will help us to study the Budget Framework Paper early enough and allow us to have our recess at once rather than having our recess interrupted”, she said. “We are not going to receive the Budget Framework paper on the Final day as it happened in the previous Financial year”, she added. She said that the timely tabling of the National Budget Framework Paper will afford the Shadow Cabinet, Committees, and Members sufficient time to adequately interrogate it. The Ministry of Finance through Hon. Evelyn Anite committed to ensuring that the National Budget Framework Paper is tabled on time.

Later, the Busia Municipality MP, Hon Geofrey Macho raised a procedural matter over the absence of the Prime Minister in the House. However, the Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua disputed the assertion and said even if the Prime Minister was Physically absent, the government was substantially present. Later the Prime Minister came in and presented the Government Business for the Succeeding Week (14th – 18th November 2022).

Also Hon. Sarah Opendi (DWR, Tororo, NRM) raised a matter of discrimination against female midwives and nursing students at Kampala International University (KIU) who are required to do a pregnancy test and pay UGX 5,000 to accounts before they can sit exams. The Ministry of Education was asked to intervene in the matter. However, in response, the Speaker informed the house that the decision had been withdrawn by the University’s Vice-Chancellor.

Later, the Ministry of finance laid on the table a Statement (attached) on the Status of Releases on the Budget for the Sports Sub-sector for FY 2022/23. Thereafter, the House adopted a motion to have a Select Committee Investigate the Operations of the National Council of Sports and the related funding to the whole sports sector. The Speaker appointed a Seven Member Select Committee Chaired by Hon. Bumaali Mpindi (PWD Representative, Indp) to handle the matter.

Prime Minister’s Question Time

Here the Prime Minister responds to Members’ Oral and Written questions.

To kickstart this session, Hon. Acon Julius Bua (Otuke East, NRM) asked about the Land Title of the Property donated to the late John Akii Bua in 1972 when he won a gold medal in Munich Germany during the Olympics competition. Also, Hon. Ephraim Biraaro (MP Buhweju West, NRM) asked about the continued use of mercury by gold miners who use industrial-scale methods and technology in which this mercury is a hazardous chemical to humans, animals, and all aquatic life. Then Hon. Veronica Nanyondo (Bukomansimbi District Woman MP, NUP) asked about the readiness of the government to implement the new Lower Secondary School Curriculum. In response, the prime Minister informed the House that 3O, OOO secondary school teachers from both private and government schools had been trained on the new lower secondary school curriculum.

A number of other responses were postponed to the following week as thereafter, the Speaker adjourned the Plenary to Tuesday, 15 November 2022 at 2:00 pm.

Courtesy AFLI and CSBAG Parliamentary Monitoring team.