LoP Reshuffles Shadow Cabint Drops Mapenduuzi As Chair and Tebandeke, Parliament Stays Approval.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament has made changes in the shadow cabinet, dropping Martin Ojara Mapenduzi from the leadership of Parliament’s Local Government Accounts Committee, and the Bbaale County legislator Charles Tebandeke who has been fired from the position of Shadow minister for fisheries.
The leader of opposition in parliament Mathias Mpuuga announced the changes on the floor of Parliament announcing FDCs Gilbert Olanya as a replacement for Mapenduuzi and Hellen Nakimuli (Woman MP Kalangala) as a replacement for Tebandeke. Kalungu East legislator Francis Katabaazi as a new Shadow minister of East African Affairs a docket which has been in hands of Gilbert Olanya Kilak South MP.
The two victims of a mini- reshuffle have had bickering relations with NUP leadership. Mapenduzi introduced the motion that removed fellow opposition member legislator and teammate Francis Butebi Zaake from the Parliamentary Commission while Tebandeke is accused of deviating from opposition position when he championed a motion to degazate a forest in Kayunga. Tebandeke has been left spitting fire.
However, Mapenduuzi who spoke to us from Nairobi said he is yet to be informed officially about the decision. He however says he is okay with any action taken by opposition on his fate.
The appointees Gilbert Olanya and Hellen Nakimuli have committed to serve the opposition diligently The mini shadow cabinet reshuffle has caught some legislators by surprise.
But the speaker of parliament Anita Among has declined to approve the changes saying she has not received the communication officially .
It should be remembered that in the 10th parliament, FDC which was the majority opposition party then made attempts to change leadership of the accountability committees before the end of the two and half years term but it was rejected by parliament.