The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP) has announced that opposition Members of Parliament will attend Tuesday’s plenary sitting to debate the controversial UPDF Amendment Bill.
He explains despite calls from some members of the public to boycott.
Addressing journalists from his boardroom at Parliament on Monday, the LOP expressed deep concern about the “hurried manner” in which the 150-page bill was handled. He criticized the limited time given for public consultations and committee engagements, citing instances where individuals were summoned to appear just one hour before sittings.
“Consultations were not properly done. Some people were called on short notice ,even an hour to attend meetings. This cannot pass for proper consultation,” he said.
Among the most contested clauses in the bill is a provision allowing for civilians to be tried by military courts under “exceptional circumstances.” The Opposition strongly disagrees with this, arguing that civilian courts are fully capable of handling all capital offences, including treason and terrorism.
He also referenced reports that some MPs including opposition members were given 100 million shillings allegedly to facilitate the bill’s speedy passage.
“The speed at which this bill is moving makes it evident that certain MPs may have received money to facilitate this process. ” he added.
Despite these concerns, the opposition has resolved to attend the debate.
“And that’s what they did during the coffee bill. You remember, they switched off the lights, they first moved you journalists out, and then they came for us. So even in this regard, we are saying we shall be present because our people elected us and they expect us to speak out. Our people know that we have fewer numbers, but they want to hear those few voices speak out loudly. “he said
He noted that even though the Opposition is outnumbered in Parliament, the voices of the minority must still be heard loudly and clearly.
“So we are not going to move out if they want they can move us out. They have done that before. Can deploy the SFC and so on, and then they move us out by force. That’s really within their hands. But on our end, we are going to use the rules and we are going to use our space and our platform to speak out so that the voice of the minority gets to be very loud.” he added
He called on Ugandans to continue using social media and all other platforms to express their views.
And we’re encouraging Ugandans, you might not be a member of parliament, so your voice might not be captured on the handset. But when you talk about these issues on Twitter, on Facebook, whether it be through a text, whether it be through a video, an audio, and so on, it adds.” he said.
Parliament is set for a heated session today, Tuesday 21st May 2025, with the controversial Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025 featuring prominently on the order paper.
According to the agenda for the 34th Sitting of the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Session of the 11th Parliament, the plenary, which starts at 10:00 AM, will handle several legislative matters , with particular focus on the UPDF Amendment Bill and the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Bill.
