Education Minister, Janet Museveni
The Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni has summonned MPs at Kololo Independence Grounds on 24th November 2021 to discuss modalities leading to the reopening of schools.
The meeting between the MPs and Minister of Education, who is also the First Lady, was communicated by Deputy Speaker Anita Among during the plenary sitting, where she informed MPs to take a covid test this week so as to secure a slot for the meeting with the Minister.
However, the communication rattled opposition MPs who accused the Minister of abusing the rules and procedures of Parliament, questioning why she didn’t present her statement within Parliament chambers instead of summoning the MPs to Kololo.
Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality) said the summons by the Minister of Education are in contravention of Rule 52 of the Rules of Procedure that requires the Minister to make a statement at appropriate time with prior notice of the Speaker instead of summoning Parliament.
“Tell that Minister that under this rule, she has a duty to come here to make a statement on any matter but to begin summoning us to take covid test, I don’t know if she is summoning as First Lady because First Lady is wife of the President. Under which rule is this minister summoning MPs to Kololo? I haven’t seem PM summon us, so how can a person under PM summon us?” Ssemujju said.
However, Deputy Speaker denied accusations that the Minister of Education had summoned MPs, rather saying the First Lady requested to meet with MPs.
“I didn’t say she summoned, I said she is requesting because we don’t have enough space that can take 500 people, choose whether to go or not. I gave you a communication that the Minister is requesting on Wednesday that go and have a discussion on how to reopen schools, I am passing a message not subject to debate,” she said.
However, Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga also protested the request, asking the First Lady to consider making that statement on the floor of Parliament so as to allow MPs debate instead of engaging in an informal meeting.
Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of ICT and National Guidance however defended the meeting saying it isn’t uncommon for ministers to organize workshops with MPs and it wasn’t the first time for the minister to invite MPs.
Mpuuga fired back at Baryomunsi asking Deputy Speaker to protect Parliament, saying that if the Minister wants to meet the Committee of Education it’s okay but that isn’t the way meetings with Parliament are held.
Prime Minister, Robina Nabbanja defended the Minister of Education saying the issue of education concerns the whole country but Parliament doesn’t have any spacious place to hold such a huge meeting.
The Deputy Speaker informed MPs that the place where they have invited is an open place, and there is no problem in taking part in the meeting saying, “I don’t see any problem there, if you feel you aren’t comfortable, I want you people to take it in good faith, you go and share information on what we should do.”
Medard Lubega (Busiro East) asked the Minister of Education to practice humility in handling her business, “My plea with minister is be humble and do things neatly. In which case, had I been her advisor I would request the speaker to convene a meeting of parliament. The word request is humility. Don’t play around for somebody who has cooked for the president for more than 40years. Of course it is unfortunate that we can have a president who can appoint wife as minister. Let her go through you because you can declare Kololo as prescient of parliament, to me that is cleaner.
Denis Obua, State Minister for Sports defended the meeting saying that following President Museveni’s address where he announced that schools would open in January 2022, the Ministry of Education has been making consultations and thought it wise to widen the net of consultation and include MPs.
“This is purely a consultative meeting, it is business as usual, we want to widely generate issues from MPs. After those are generated, we shall come and report to this institution. Come we caucus, come we debate come we generate ideas,” explained Obua.
