Leader of the Opposition Rt Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi has declared war on what he calls a “sham process” used to bulldoze through two highly controversial bills the UPDF Amendment Bill and the Political Parties Amendment Bill.

Flanked by fellow opposition MPs in his Parliament boardroom moments after storming out of the House, a visibly incensed Ssenyonyi said he would sue in court.

“We are not going to be part of sanitizing a sham process.Laws are for the people,but how do you pass them without consulting the people? This was a setup. A complete ambush!”

The bills, which have stirred political waters across the country, were reportedly rushed through without adequate consultation, something the Opposition says violates both the law and a landmark Supreme Court ruling.

“The state is hell-bent on forcing these bills through, willy-nilly. Stakeholders like political parties, civil society, and even NGOs received invitations on the very morning they were expected to appear. That’s not consultation, that’s coercion,” Ssenyonyi fumed.

According to the Opposition chief, the process was so flawed that the joint committee never reconvened to finalize its report. Instead, MPs were allegedly instructed to simply sign off after some had met at State House.

“They didn’t go back to the hotel where they were working on the report. We suspect the majority report was drafted from somewhere else and members were just called to append signatures.” he alleged

And there’s more: Ssenyonyi vowed to drag Parliament to court over the matter.

“We’re taking this to court,” he said. “This violates Article 92 of the Constitution. It disregards the Supreme Court ruling on civilians in military courts. And above all, it undermines the very essence of lawmaking.”

Ssenyonyi hailed opposition committee members for producing a “very good” minority report and hinted at joining forces with civil society groups to mount a legal challenge.

As for Parliament he said: “They can continue with their sham process. But the courts must now speak again in defense of their own authority.” he scoffed.