UGANDA: EXPELLED MPs MEET SPEAKER, AG

The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga
together with the Attorney General met
the affected MPs in a closed meeting
that lasted over an hour.

KAMPALA, Uganda

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and the Attorney General William Byaruhanga on Thursday met the Members of Parliament who were expelled from the House by the constitutional court.

Court on December 27, 2019, nullified the election of six MPs from the newly created municipalities on grounds that they were elected in constituencies that did not exist.

This followed a petition filed by former Bufumbira East MP Eddie Kwizera challenging the legality of a number of constituencies created after the 2016 general elections.

Kwizera argued that the six constituencies were illegally created by parliament and asked court to declare them null and void.

However, both the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Attorney General have appealed against the ruling.

The affected MPs are the Sheema Municipality MP Elioda Tumwesigye who is also the Minister of science, technology and innovation, the Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, Patrick Ochan (Apac Municipality), Tarsis Rwaburindore (Ibanda Municipality), Lokii Abraham (Kotido Municipality) and Hashim Suleiman of Nebbi Municipality.

The meeting which took place in the Speaker’s chambers and closed to the media lasted over an hour. Mr Byaruhanga left the meeting earlier but the MPs remained with the Speaker some more time.

The MPs confirmed meeting Ms Kadaga and Mr Byaruhanga but declined to divulge further details. 

“It is not our fault, the problem now is for the people we represent. But the good thing both the electoral commission and the Attorney General are challenging the matter” one of the affected MPs said off the record.    

Attempts to speak to the Attorney General on the matter were futile. - URN