6th October 2024.
Isaac Senabulya
Parliament has passed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024 with amendments amid protests by Opposition Members of Parliament which saw the Media locked out.
The approved Bill seeks to abolish the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), whose functions will now be taken over by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Before this could be brought to the floor of Parliament, there was contestation by members of sighting strangers in the Chambers of Parliament, a matter that saw Hon Anthony Akol (FDC) beat up his colleague from the Opposition Hon Zaake Francis (NUP).
The Speaker thereafter suspended the sitting for 30 minutes, on coming back,she directed that Hon Zaake be immediately taken for treatment and thereafter moved to suspend 12 members of Parliament for three consecutive meetings.
The suspended MPs are Anthony Akol (Kilak North), Zaake Francis (Mityana Municipality), Asinansi Nyakato (Hoima City) Frank Kabuye (Kassanda South), Derrick Nyeko,(Makindye East) Shamim Malende (Kampala City) Charles Tebandeke (Bbaale County) Isiah Ssasaga (Budadiri East), Wakayima Musoke (Nansana Municipality), Aloysius Mukasa(Rubaga South),Suzan Mugabi (Buvuma District) and Evans Kanyike (Bukoto East)
“I am proceeding to name the MPs and suspend these members for three consecutive sittings from this House. The Members are suspended with immediate effect from the House. I am also evoking Rule 88(2) to order the above MPs to withdraw immediately from the House and ordered the Sergeant at Arms that they vacate the Chambers and therefore suspend the House for 15 minutes,” said the speaker.
Speaker Anita Among announced that at the time this decision was taken, 305 MPs attended the plenary sitting physically.
During the debate, the Kiboga East MP Dr.Keefa Kiwanuka said that there is fear in the community at the moment that the development of the coffee sector would go down,and had wanted a proposal demanding the minister for Agriculture to report to parliament regularly about the performance of the sector, however, his proposal was rejected by parliament following the minister of state for finance in charge of general Duties Henry musasizi and asking for such proposal to be left out.
Musasizi said that the ministry is audited annually and that there are ways provided to check the performance of the sector and no need to have such a clause in the bill.
Minister of State for sports Peter Ogwanga supported Minister Musasizi on the same and asked MP Keefa kiwanuka to withdraw his proposal which the parliament agreed with.
Kiwanuka had told parliament that his proposal was based on the political pressure they are facing on the coffee bill.
Speaker Anita Among after, parliament passed the bill, refuted allegations of conflict of interest on the Coffee Bill, saying Rule 94 of the Rules of Procedure as cited by the Leader of Opposition does not apply to the Speaker because he or she neither debates nor votes.
“From the onset, I wish to state that I was quoted out of context. In any event, this House is a house of record, and being the custodian of the Rules of procedure and being the House of Record, and if anybody feels that I mentioned what the Leader of Opposition mentioned, I want to urge that Member, to bring documentary evidence and lay on table and once it is true that I said what he said, then, I will be able to apologize to this country and the persons who were affected. But before that is done, because it isn’t true, I will not do it,” said Among.
She thanked some of the members of parliament like Abdul katuntu,Asuman Basalirwa ,Nathan Nandala Mafabi and other opposition MPs from opposition parties like Forum for Democratic Change ,Uganda People's Congress and Democratic Party who did not walk out while parliament passed the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill.
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