Africa-Press – Uganda. Two legislators will face off today before Parliament’s Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Discipline over a disciplinary matter.
Ms Juliet Kinyamatama, the Rakai Woman lawmaker, a month ago accused her Mityana Municipality counterpart Francis Zaake before Parliament of allegedly insulting her in her constituency on Independence Day.
The matter was then referred to the disciplinary committee by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Despite the two legislators appearing before the committee yesterday, the chairperson, Mr Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), said the former would only make substantive deliberations over the allegations today.
He said this is to allow ample time for translating the video in which the utterances were reportedly made from Luganda to English.
“[The video] and so on of what would have been made should be sent to Makerere University for translation such that we know exactly what the complaint is about. Some of us [committee members] do not know Luganda,” Mr Katuntu said.
“We shall review the video at 11 o’clock on Thursday…Once the video is played and we have accepted and know it is evidence, you raise your contestations and then we shall proceed from there, in accordance with the law,” he added.
Mr Zaake’s lawyer Erias Lukwago, who doubles as the Kampala Lord Mayor, however, raised security concerns for his client during the proceedings.
“On the day [October 12] the footage was played in the House, mayhem ensued largely on the code of conduct of Honourable Kinyamatama and according to the instructions of the House, he was nearly lynched in the House,” Mr Lukwago said.
“The concern we are raising is two-fold. One is the safety of our client on the day we are going to play that footage again if they’re going to be a re-occurrence of the events as they happened on that day in the House,’” he added.
The second concern was whether Ms Kinyamatama would also be investigated. “..Like you had indicated that this is a matter for investigation just to establish what exactly happened, for purposes of ensuring that there is order in the House, whether that particular matter also constitutes part of the investigation, the conduct of Honourable Kinyamatama on that very day, so that we prepare accordingly,” Mr Lukwago said.
In response, Mr Katuntu said what was referred to the committee was only the alleged conduct of Mr Zaake.
“What you are saying is not part of what was referred to and we don’t have a right to initiate these proceedings. It is by order of the House. We are not going to form our own mandate,” he said.
The brief meeting ended with Mr Katuntu assuring the two legislators that the matter would be handled professionally, and that the committee has no personal interest in the matter.
Background
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa was on October 12 forced to suspend plenary after a section of female legislators attempted to beat up Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake, accusing him of making defamatory statements against a colleague.
Tempers flared after a video was played in the House appearing to show Mr Zaake insulting Rakai Woman MP Juliet Kinyamatama.
Mr Tayebwa, who was presiding over the session, had on two occasions attempted to ensure that the sitting goes on but chaos within the chambers compelled him to call it off the following week.
The MP was early this year controversially impeached by his fellow MPs for allegedly insulting then Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among on social media. But on September 28, the justices quashed MP Zaake’s impeachment.
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