By URN
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chair for Eastern Region, Captain Mike Mukula, has appealed to parliament to allow President Museveni resolve a conflict between the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and Minister Persis Namuganza.
Parliament’s Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline is probing into the ingenuous bickering between State Minister of Lands Persis Namuganza and Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
Namuganza, the Member of Parliament for Bukono County, allegedly badmouthed the Kyabazinga of Busoga William Gabula Nadiope IV, and threatened the Speaker who also hails from Busoga and represents Kamuli District in Parliament.
Namuganza has allegedly thrown insults at Kadaga on several occasions referring to her as unqualified and unfit to hold the office of a Member of Parliament. According to Namuganza, Kadaga, who has been in parliament for almost 30 years, has outlived her usefulness.
Now appearing before the Rules Committee today, former minister Mike Mukula said it is not good to investigate the matter involving the Speaker, since it sets a bad precedence. He said it gives a bad image to the public about Parliament and the Speaker.
Mukula says the president or the ruling party which has already taken up the case should be allowed to reconcile the two legislators. According to Mukula, good negotiations usually involve a few mediators, but not an entire house.
He says the president as the chairperson of NRM, Fountain of Honour and elder, is better placed to reconcile the two since he is also the appointing authority.
According to Mukula, the issue of Namuganza and Kadaga is also political and cultural. He recommended that the committee stays its investigations into the matter and allows the President Museveni and the NRM party to handle the matter.
Mukula, who represented Soroti Municipality in parliament for 15 years, says in the past Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) had a conflict between former party President Olara Otunnu and current President Jimmy Akena but this was handled internally. He also gave an example of the conflict between the Democratic Party president Norbert Mao and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago which he says was resolved amicably by the party. Mukula says NRM too can handle this conflict.
Pecos Kutesa, the UPDF Representative in Parliament, had questioned if as Government there is a way to orient ministers and ensure that they work well and relate well.
Committee chair Obote Ongalo described the guidance given by Mukula as a good one, adding that the committee will discuss the matter of staying the investigations. According to Ongalo they may have to visit the president to look at his take on the matter.
The bickering between Kadaga and Namuganza reportedly started when Kadaga together with Busiki County MP Paul Akamba visited the Bukono Constituency in Namutumba District, where they lashed out at the area MP.
