MPs from Buganda regions have vowed not to allow any parliament session to proceed unless Speaker Anita Among apologizes to Buganda and Ugandans for her remarks during the parliamentary debate on the rice bill last week.
Last week, when parliament was debating the National Coffee Amendment Bill aimed at moving the UCDA to the Ministry of Agriculture, the speaker was urging government chief whip Hamson Obua to do everything so that the the Baganada Mps who are against the bill don’t win.
Speaking to reporters at parliament after a meeting of the Buganda caucus on the issue of coffee, the chairman of the Buganda caucus Muwanga Kivumbi said no session of parliament would proceed unless the speaker apologized to Buganda and Mps from Buganda.
Kivumbi said that MPs from Buganda will attend any parliamentary session in large numbers and will not leave but will not allow parliament to do anything until the speaker has apologized.
“as a caucus we have also resolved, we demand that the speaker of parliament having come back from a trip abroad to stand firm, to apologize to the people of buganda and tender in her apology and our resolution is that no proceedings of parliament will be permitted to go on and we will be everything possible until she has offered apology on this issue ,no matter what she goes ,no visit bishop ,even you visit the kabaka of buganda ,we will still demand an apology from you,” stated kivumbi.
Kivumbi also said they have set up various committees to analyze various issues related to the bill including a committee to analyze President Museveni’s letter on coffee and then respond to it.
“we have also set up a committees like a legal team headed by Hon.Nsibambi and other lawyers comprised of mp for Mukono district Hanifa Nabukera ,Merdad ssegoona and Richard Lumu to study the next step and give the caucus the guidance on how to proceed , we have also set up a team led by the Hon.Lulume Bayiga with Hon.Osababe Nsamba ,Flavia Nabagabe and myself to respond , im told the president has issued three statements of 16 pages ,I hope today he will not issue another one ,we have set up a committee that is going to answer him line by line on all his arguments because their easily impeachable,”said kivumbi.
Muwanga Kivumbi also warned all MPs from Buganda regions not to attempt to hold any press conference on coffee issues without getting permission from the Buganda caucus as every issue they raise as to be approved by the Buganda caucus.
“On this any member of the caucus doesn’t attend our caucus meeting has no moral authority to have a press conference elsewhere, here we debate issues, agree on a position, members of parliament are equal ,we have a leader of opposition , so tell all those members of the caucus to attend the caucus ,this is about our coffee and life please don’t bring in these minor issues ,excuse us let tell you I have stopped members of parliament of our caucus ,if the two of them meet and are not speaking the same language on coffee issues on any media house, one must walk away .This thing that whenever we are united we can be divided ,we will not permit it ,im not a usual chairman ,”said kivumbi.
Kivumbi explained that “we had a general buganda caucus meeting since morning and we have updated ourselves to the state we are in ,we have resolved to thank all other Ugandans that have come up to voice their support for the non-rationalization of UCDA ,we thank the people of Bugisu ,people of western Uganda and rest of the other country that have stood in solidarity with other coffee growing areas ,”.
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