Parliament constitutes committees
By Kajubi Fred
The fight for juicy committees has erupted in parliament as MPs were being designated. The FDC camp in parliament has been left divided to the extent of exchanging verbal insults with the party whip Semujju Nganda.
Some FDC members accused Semujju of using committees to payback party MPs who didn’t support him in the speakership elections.
Today parliament chaired by the deputy speaker Anita Among sat to constitute Parliamentary Committees, and it started by passing a motion to vary the number of MPs who subscribe to committees from 30 per each to accommodate more members.
As the government chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa, Chief Opposition Whip John Baptist Nambeshe, the acting Dean of independents David Livingstone zijjan and the Dean of UPDF MPs Charity Bainababo designated members to particular standing and sectoral committees, some MPs were shocked to find themselves in committees which are contrary to the choices they applied for and they went up in arms.
The Dokolo district woman MP Cecilia Ogwal and the Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya turned guns against the FDC whip Ibrahim Semujju Nganda and castigated him for disappointing their applications to sit on committees of their choice. But Semujju retaliated in equal measure.
Ogwal who has served on the committee of budget for a long time had applied to be retained and Olanya had expressed interest to sit on the local government Accounts Committee but found himself on the committee of HIV and Aids. The two accused Semujju of using his role as a whip to revive their conflicts in the speakership race where FDC members abandoned him for Kadaga.
Ogwal wondered how Semujju dropped her from the budget committee with all expertise she has in the field of economics and replaced her with himself whose expertise is in journalism.
Not only FDC members are bickering but also some NUP MPs like Paul Nsubuga whose choice for the committee of education and sports was not considered has no kind words for the party whip.
However many legislators are proud of the committee choices they were allocated and have committed to serving.
Parliament has 29 committees, with 13 standing and 16 sectoral committees. Although MPs are designated by their party whips, they are given a chance to express interest for committees of their choices.
