The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Among (pictured) has rejected requests by both the Equal Opportunities Commission & Public Service to handover details regarding how much MPs and staff of Parliament are paid.
Among argues that Parliament is an independent body, and asked the Attorney General to remind these agencies that the people on Parliament’s payroll aren’t civil servants.
“I also got information from my Clerk (Adolf Mwesige) where Equal Opportunities Commission and Public Service have written to the Clerk that they want a report on how much each Member of Parliament gets, how much the staff of Parliament get. I think people are forgetting separation of power. The Uganda Parliamentary Commission is a standalone, we don’t belong to Equal Opportunities Commission. We aren’t civil servants for Public Service to start asking for salaries of MPs. And it is high time Attorney General, you told these people that we have our independence. We shouldn’t be asked,” Among said.
The Speaker defended her position, saying Equal Opportunities Commission isn’t supposed to investigate the salaries of MPs and Parliament staff.
“When you look at Article 85, emoluments of MPs, that is self-explanatory. Is it correct for Equal Opportunities to go beyond its powers and come and start investigating on what they aren’t supposed to?” remarked Among.
The Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa concurred with Speaker Among, arguing that the move by Equal Opportunities Commission investigating how much MPs and staff of Parliament are paid would be an extension outside their mandate and promised to advise the Commission regarding this matter.
“The mandate of Equal Opportunities Commission is restricted to persons who are marginalized on the basis of gender, age disability and other reasons created by history, tradition of customs. I think that is going to be an extension because they are going to start being a High Court and Court of Appeal, so I think they need to maintain the level where they are supposed to be and we shall advise them and we have advised them consistently. It is a line that needs to be drawn carefully so that they know because this Equal Opportunities is supposed to help with affirmative action,” said Kiryowa.
However, Ssemujju Nganda (Kira Municipality) rejected the arguments fronted by both Speaker and Attorney General, arguing that Equal Opportunities Commission can only establish vulnerabilities of Ugandans when they compare with the salaries earned by MPs and staff of Parliament.
“Vulnerabilities sometimes are established by comparison. If you want to know that people are marginalized, you look at those that aren’t. So if you stop Equal Opportunities Commission to compare with other people and Parliament, where are you sending them? To compare them with Kenya and Rwanda because within the same environment, comparison is what will show you the vulnerabilities. Are you now stopping them from making that comparison?” remarked Ssemujju.
The Attorney General replied, “In a nutshell, yes, because I am telling them that they can only compare where you say, that men shall have 10% and women shall have 5% that is the marginalization they deal with. They aren’t entitled to compare everything and anything. They are supposed to compare marginalization because of gender, sex, disability, and other matters created by history.”
“If we aren’t careful, we may start saying that we now have Equal Opportunities because everyone must drive the same car, everyone must be of the same height. That wasn’t the Equal Opportunities that was anticipated here. It was supposed to ensure that we don’t write laws, or implement policies that one gender shall be given better treatment as opposed to another gender,” added Kiryowa.
