Africa-Press – Uganda. Former Ethics and Integrity Minister, Miria Matembe has described Uganda’s Parliament headed by Bukedea Woman MP, Anita Among, as a powerless arm of government citing State minister for Lands, Ms Persis Namuganza’s censure and her return to the House as a ‘perfect example.’
The Citizen Coalition on Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) chairperson contends that if a minister who has been censured by Parliament can still return and sit on the front bench, then it implies that both Parliament and its speaker are weak.
Speaking to employees of Research Triangle International to celebrate belated Women’s Day last Thursday, Ms Matembe, a former chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline wondered how legislators and censured Ms Namuganza but she’s yet to quit her office.
The human rights activist said the Parliament in which she served as Mbarara Woman MP (2001 to 2006) had some powers, arguing that they were able to censure two “powerful ministers– Sam Kuteesa and Jim Muhwezi– during our tenure although President Museveni returned them later.”
“The Speaker is the Speaker of Parliament with no power at all. How can Parliament sit and censure a Minister and the Minister is still in office and you still say you have power? For us, you remember when we censured Sam Kuteesa, we censured Jim Muhwezi at least they went, although he (The President) brought them back,” she said.
President is yet to decide whether to relieve Ms Namuganza of her position as a minister after the House censured her for contempt of Parliament in abusing her office in relation to Naguru Land saga.
Ms Matembe who was giving the employees leadership tips, told them that to be an influential person, one did not need to hold a position to influence a direction but influence “flows naturally when one is serving God because he gives the person wisdom, favour and character which is devoid these days of women in leadership like the ministers who shared amongst themselves iron sheets meant for people in Karamoja.”
“How could they take iron sheets meant for Karamojong and yet they are suffering on the streets? If I were the President, all of them would have gone to Prison after returning the iron sheets. We need this kind of leadership, but I think when women get on top itself as I told you earlier you now see there is no power,” she said.
According to Maria Apoo Oitamong, African Regional Office Main Recruiter for new projects won by RTI in Africa, RTI International has Employee Resource Groups that bring together employees from different diversities to make their workplace stay enjoyable to keep staff happy and grow leaders professionally.
“It is a strategic staff engagement to ensure belonging, equity diversity and inclusion of women in growing themselves into leadership positions. We have groups like working parents coming together to support themselves to see how to make the best out of their positions and we are also thinking of celebrating Fathers’ Day when it comes,” she said.
Ms Matembe warned women in leadership against the mentality of what she described as “arrivalism”, arguing that it has frusyrated the women emancipation movement where women are appointed to positions of political power for formality as “they are co-opted into state structures that have no power to influence decisions because presence without influence is no more than absence.”
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