Benefits that await members of 10th Parliament

An illustration of an MP-elect and the benefits that await him. ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX KWIZERA 

The 9th Parliament is in the evening of its life. The new Parliament, which will open in May, will be a different place from the one whose term expires in the same month.

The infusion of fresh blood is expected to lend a new vigour to House proceedings as ‘freshers’ shake off first-time jitters and making their presence felt in the 10th Parliament.

As we officially wave good bye to the life and times of the current House, more than half of 458 MPs in 10th Parliament will be members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

As expected, the ruling party kept its strong majority position in the third multiparty Parliament and in turn, relegated the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and other Opposition parties to “a government in waiting”.

But what shall be said about the honourable ladies and gentlemen who walked into the chambers of the August House in May 2011 to serve a five-year term in office? What shall be said of the stewardship of Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, the first female to be elected Speaker and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah? That will be a discussion for another day.

Each Parliament is a mixture of new and old faces and the 10th Parliament is no different. From the return of veteran political figures like Prof Morris Agenga Latigo (Agago); Tom Butime (Mwenge Central); Maj (Rtd) Guma Gumisirizaa (Ibanda North); Mr Christopher Kibazanga (Bungedera); Mr Isaac Musumba (Buzaya); Ms Margaret Muhanga (Burahya); Ms Annett Nyakecho (Tororo North) and Charles Ngabirano (Rwampara), to the advent of rib-tickling characters: Mubarak Munyagwa and Mr Kato Lubwama.

The energetic Kawempe Division mayor, Mr Munyagwa aka Mugati Gwabata, is now the MP-elect for Kawempe South constituency.

He defeated incumbent MP, Mr Richard Ssebuliba Mutumba of the Democratic Party (DP). As for Mr Kato Lubwama, aka Biiso, the director of Diamond Ensemble, a drama group, now represents Rubaga South Constituency. He defeated Ken Lukyamuzi the man.

The defeat of more than 20 ministers, including Information minister Jim Muhwezi, Justice minister, Kahinda Otafiire; Attorney General Fred Ruhindi; Defence minister Crispus Kiyonga (one of the fathers of the House); Education minister Jessica Alupo; Internal Affairs minister Rose Akol; Energy minister Irene Muloni; junior Works minister Asuman Kiyingi and Economic Monitoring minister Henry Banyenzaki, among others.

Some well-known Opposition faces who had previously chaired the Public Accounts Committee, Government Assurances Committee, and Local Government Accounts Committees will also no longer be returning to Parliament.
For instance, Ms Alice Alaso (Serere), Mr Kassiano Wadri (Terego) and shadow Finance minister Geofrey Ekanya (Tororo) and Mr Jack Sabiiti (Rukiga county).

Fertile spot in a desert?
This week, Sunday Monitor explores the depth of the benefits that await the 458 MPs who are joining an institution that superintends the effective functioning of democracy yet pigeonholed by some critics and anti-corruption watchdogs as “a hunting ground” in view of past pay-out deals involving taxpayers money and widespread absenteeism in the face of unrelenting backlogs.

To people like Ms Cissy Kagaba of the Uganda Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda and Mr Siraje Nsanja, don at Kampala University, the 458 MPs in 10th Parliament, must justify their benefits, adding that because of wasteful expenditure by the same people who are supposed to act as watchdogs, the institution of Parliament is now viewed as “a fertile spot in a desert,” and to some extent, a political “easting house” of sorts.

In the spirit of separation of powers, our laws allow MPs to set their emoluments. This is always done at a closed-door session after the election of a new Speaker and his or her deputy.

It was the same reason, the House’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee advanced last year to exclude MPs from the impending dictates of the Salaries and Remuneration Board (SRB).

The director of information at Parliament, Mr Chris Obore, however, explains that asking MPs to justify their benefits would be a welcome question, only if it helps MPs to do their work better, adding that “to insinuate that they are earning too much yet doing nothing is speculative talk”.