Africa-Press – Uganda. At least 100 MPs in the 11th Parliament will operate from the corridors after it emerged that the House facilities cannot accommodate all the lawmakers.
Although sources from Parliament talked of 100 MPs without offices, documents from the Parliamentary Commission show that some will be asked to share the available office space and others (98 MPs) will be forced to operate without offices. Additional MPs from newly created districts, cities and municipalities have exerted pressure on the available facilities in Parliament.
The Parliamentary Commission has asked for additional funds in the 2021/2022 National Budget to facilitate the additional members in the 11th Parliament.
A report from the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has confirmed that 98 MPs in the 11th Parliament will have no office space when they start work in May.
The committee, however, did not reveal how much is needed to rent additional office space for the 98 MPs even as sources in the Clerk’s Office talked of billions of shillings. The Parliamentary Commission is expected to meet Ministry of Finance officials to discuss what sources called office crisis in Parliament.
According to the Legal Committee report, the 10th Parliament has 457 MPs and the 11th Parliament will have 555 members. The new chamber is still under construction and the completion date remains unclear.
The Legal and Parliamentary Committee report also highlighted a budget shortfall of Shs21. 3b meant for salaries for the MPs from newly created districts. The number was not disclosed.
“The committee recommends that the government should provide additional Shs21.32b for additional wage provision in the 2021/2022 [Financial Year] budget estimates to cater for additional MPs in the 11th parliament,” the committee report reads in part.Ms Helen Kawesa, the acting communications director, yesterday confirmed the office space crisis and reiterated that the new chamber will not be ready in May when the new MPs will be sworn in.
She, however, explained that Parliament will continue renting office space at Victoria Chambers neighbouring Parliament Building. Parliament is also using Development House on Parliament Avenue.“However, plans are under way by the Parliamentary Commission to ensure that we get space for MPs. In such circumstances, we rent space to accommodate MPs and sometimes we ask them to share offices.”
The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has in the same report asked the government to avail Sh5.4b for the purchase of new vehicles for the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and directors.According to the report, Parliament wants to buy 13 brand-new cars for the bosses. For the Speaker and the Deputy, each will have four vehicles and the rest will be used by the directors and their deputies.
Ms Kawesa defended the purchase of cars for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, saying the law permits them to buy new vehicles for government officials to replace the ones they are using currently.The deputy chairperson of the Budget Committee, Mr Patrick Isiagi (Kachumbala, NRM), yesterday said they will review the request for cars for the Speaker’s office and advise accordingly.
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The lawmakers have also asked the government to provide Shs165b to purchase new vehicles for MPs in 11th Parliament. “The committee observed that MPs are entitled to a car of Shs200m.No provision has been made amounting to Shs165b for FY 2021/22.The committee further noted that government intends to raise these resources from tax revenue measures,” the committee report reads.
