The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has asked parliament to prioritize the common good of all Ugandans, saying that they owe this duty in memory of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
Mayiga was on Friday speaking during a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and the Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga. The Buganda Premier together with a team of Kingdom officials had visited parliament to officially convey their condolences on the passing of Oulanyah who died on March 20 at a hospital in Seattle, Washington, USA.
“…Parliament has a key role to play in the social and economic transformation of our country. If we prioritize the interests of the common person, …we shall have remembered the late Jacob Oulanyah appropriately,” Mayiga said.
He added that parliament needs to take interest in the health care received by citizens, the education offered in schools and the different opportunities accorded to them.
Mayiga described the late Oulanyah as an important and impactful leader who made the people of Uganda proud, adding that his death is a very big loss to the country.
“We all mourn the late Jacob Oulanyah because he died young. 56, is perhaps a time when one starts drawing the balance sheet to examine what one has done in life and probably to enjoy the fruits of hard labour. It is very difficult to enjoy any kind of profits before you are 50,” Mayiga added.
He commended the late for having had a huge impact on Ugandans through his service as a lawyer, politician and Speaker of Parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among pledged that in the memory of the late Oulanyah, they will work for the common person and also resolve the outstanding issues between the government and the Kingdom of Buganda. The Kingdom has in the past asked government to pay 215.8 billion Shillings it owes in rent.
The money covers the operations of different government entities on land that was returned to the Kingdom in 2013. Some of the institutions operating on Kingdom land include the Judiciary, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Prisons, Institutions of Learning, Health Centers, Local Government offices and others.
Among said that she would give the kingdom feedback in two weeks regarding the rent arrears and other issues owed by the government.
In a separate statement, Mayiga tasked the Leader of Opposition Mpuuga and a section of MPs from the Buganda Kingdom to always put the Kabaka of Buganda and issues regarding the Kingdom at the forefront. He highlighted issues of land, the federal system of government, good health and education services and others.
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