11th parliament to hold first session today
By Ritah Kemigisa and Damali Mukhaye
The 529 members of the 11th parliament who were all sworn in last week will today have their first sitting.
To observe covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures, their sitting shall be held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
Among the business to be handled by the members today, is election of Speaker and deputy speaker.
The speakership race has so far attracted Rebecca Kadaga who last evening was dropped by NRM Central Executive Committee but announced she would as independent, her former deputy Jacob Oulanya who is the choice of CEC, FDCs Ibrahim Ssemujju, who was the former Opposition chief whip in the 10th Parliament, DP’s Richard Ssebamala and Rakai Woman MP Juliet Kinyamatama.
Kinyamatama who is an independent NRM leaning MP was however turned away on Thursday because her name was not in the party’s register.
Today’s sitting of the 11th parliament is to be presided over by the chief justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo.
According to Article 82 of the constitution of Uganda, the Chief Justice or a judge designated by the Chief Justice presides over the election of a Speaker, after the Speaker presides over the election of the Deputy Speaker.
The Senior Information Officer of Parliament, Charles Bukuwa says that the 529 MPs will take their seats first before the Chief justice is ushered in.
He says that this will be followed with a prayer and communication from the chairperson before the Chief Justice calls for nomination of contenders from the Mps.
He says that a secret ballot will be cast and the person with higher votes will be announced the winner, then he/she will be sworn in and will immediately be given an instrument of power to take over from the chief justice.
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