Speaker Anita Among (pictured) has led fellow lawmakers in Parliament to castigate the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija for derailing the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023. This is after the Ministry refused to issue the mover of the bill, Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) with a certificate of Financial implication.
During the plenary sitting, the Speaker argued that the matter of enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 is urgent which calls for Minister Kasaija to issue the certificate of financial implication so as to expedite the processing of protecting the sovereignty of families in Uganda.
“We put this on the order paper knowing that this is an urgent matter, may we hear from Cabinet on what is happening? The fight that we are on is a moral fight, it is a cultural fight and it is indeed a fight to protect our sovereignty of our families. We need to respond to the cries of our citizens in Uganda, you have seen what is happening in schools, are we going to sit here and continue lamenting when we know we can do something?” asked Speaker Among.
Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) wondered why Parliament should plead for a certificate of Financial implication from the Ministry of Finance yet the constitution in article 31 clearly stipulates that marriage in Uganda can only be held between a man and woman.
“I don’t know why we need the ministry of finance to give consent on something provided in the law,” he said.
Basalirwa threatened the Executive that the failure to issue the certificate of financial implication would mean that Parliament is condoning homosexuality.
Joseph Ssewungu (Kalungu West) lashed out at Minister Kasaija for delaying the issuance of Certificate of Financial Implication describing him as lazy, wondering why the same speed used in passing the age limit bill hasn’t been exercised with the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
“The financial implication is key in giving certificate of financial implication, but where there is no need and it doesn’t affect the financial implication of the consolidated fund, why do we have to kneel before the Minister, that is laziness, they were appointed to be here,” remarked Ssewungu.
The Chief Government Whip, Hamson Obua explained that Minister Kasaija was absent during the plenary sitting because he was attending a meeting at State House, and pointed out that the Public Finance Management Act gives the Minister of Finance 60days within which to issue the certificate of financial implication, and the letter from Basalirwa was only received by the Ministry of Finance on 3rd March 2023.
He said, “As far as I am aware, the request for the certificate of financial implication was made on Friday 3rd March 2023, and the law both Public Financial Management Act 2015 and Rules of procedure of Parliament give the minister within 60days, it may be urgent but the minister is still protected by the law passed by parliament, the Minister still has 60days.”
The Speaker however fired back arguing that the inefficiencies at the Ministry of Finance shouldn’t be a defence, because the matter of homosexuality is a matter of life and death, and wondered why the Minister wasn’t seeking for an extension instead of waiting for the 60days.
Ssewungu lashed out at Obua wondering why he isn’t championing fight against homosexuality instead of defending Ministers wondering if he would have the five children he declared before Parliament if he was married to fellow man.
Minister of Finance for Investment, Evelyn Anite requested Parliament to give Government up to 9th March 2013, which time Minister Kasaija would appear with the certificate of financial implication, the only document standing in the way for Parliament to embark on the scrutiny of the controversial legislation.
Speaker Among continued with her threats, vowing that Parliament is going to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, at whatever cost because Parliament will not accept the moral principles being brought to this country and sit and watch as this generation degenerates further.
