Absent Ministers rile MPs

Persistent absenteeism by Cabinet Ministers from Parliament has irked legislators, who have now called for the intervention of the President, their appointing authority.

The MPs said that the absenteeism was ‘unbecoming’ and affected the consideration and conclusion of parliamentary business as ministers cannot respond to issues raised during sittings.

Kassiano Wadri Ezati (Ind., Arua Municipality) said that one of the reasons for increasing the cabinet size from 21 to 78 ministers was for effective representation in Parliament sittings.

“Why are they loading us with work yet there is no ministry with one cabinet member?” he said adding that “Cabinet ministers need to know that we do not come here to debate in vain; at the end of the day we have no work delivered to the country when they don’t pick up matters raised in Parliament.” 

At the time of raising the issue during the sitting on Thursday, 22 August 2019, only eight of the 78 ministers were in the House.

Bugabula South MP, Henry Maurice Kibalya, proposed that the Speaker engages the President about Cabinet’s attendance of the House. 

“We request you to write to the President, asking him to notify you when his ministers are engaged with other duties,” he said.

He said that this would guide Parliament to plan its sessions in line with availability of the ministers.

“During the period when certain ministers are engaged in other duties, Parliament can discuss matters that do not pertain to their dockets,” said Kibalya.

Mwesigwa Rukutana, the Deputy Attorney General, reminded the House of a standing cabinet ruling stating that in every sitting of Parliament, each ministry must be represented by at least one minister.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga observed that in an effort to boost ministers’ attendance of House proceedings, the President allowed for a shift in cabinet meetings from Wednesday to Monday. 

“The Cabinet meetings were shifted so that members can be here from Tuesday to Thursday; so there is no excuse for their absenteeism,” Kadaga said.

Parliament ordinarily meets for plenary in the afternoon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Kadaga warned that Parliament might have to invoke the rules to deal with absenteeism among Cabinet Ministers, who are Members of Parliament.