Members of Parliament were expected to top back to their Constituencies to hold consultative meetings on the Constitutional amendment Bill number two of 2017 popularly known as the Magyezi Private Member’s Bill. On Wednesday, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga adjourned the Parliament sander meeting without a definite date of the return for the MPs to allow them to consult. The Private Member’s Bill had a number of clauses mainly on the handling of the President’s election petitions but the most debated clause was the proposal to remove the 35-year lower age limit and the 75-year upper age limit for one to seek election as the President.
But one of the challenges was that the Parliamentary Commission that governs the Parliament didn’t have money to facilitate legislators for the consultation. Sources told NTV that each MP was expected to get 20 million shillings although they wanted 30 million shillings. The source that spoke to NTV on the condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak for the Parliament. The Committee said it was consulting the Finance Ministry to find the money. In the alternative, the sources said the Parliament would have to look into its budget cut on some expenses especially on travels inland and abroad.
Earlier on, one of the Commissioners of the Parliament Peter Ogwang who is also the Usuk County MP suggested that the consultation cash may be withdrawn from the supplementary budget. “It was unforeseen activity and you know very well that if I ask you on the matter of supplementary, this is one of the activities which has been unforeseen. Now that it is seen, where do you expect us to get the money from? It will come as a supplementary. Within the Public Management Act, it falls within and as far as I am concerned it falls within the 3% of the government, which the government is allowed to spend then they come for Parliamentary approval.”
Ogwang said he looked forward to engaging his Constituency on the Constitutional amendment Bill because they had been waiting to give their views. “So as a Commission what we have requested because it is the demand of the people first of all, of Uganda that all members of Parliament must go and consult. Religious leaders said you MPs don’t that matter as your personal matter, even when the Constitution says it is a clause which we can amend as members of Parliament but for us, as a Commission; that’s why we must thank the President, we must thank the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Parliament.” It was not yet clear how long the consultations would last and when the MPs would return to the house but sources said the recess could last two weeks.
In 2013, there was controversy when Opposition MPs claimed that colleagues had been bribed with 5 million shillings to consult on the Domestic Relations Bill that had been withdrawn. Prior to the 2001 elections, each MP of the 8th Parliament was given 20 million shillings to monitor the activities of the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS). Some MPs especially from the Opposition rejected the money and returned it to the Parliamentary Commission. In 2005, NRM MPs were given 5 million shillings to consult their Constituencies on the proposed Constitutional amendments but political observers interpreted this as a bribe for the MPs to remove the five-year Presidential term limit from the Constitution and it was done.
