PARLIAMENT .Erute South MP Jonathan Odur has questioned the legitimacy of Nyendo Mukungwe County legislator Mathias Mpuuga as the designated Opposition Commissioner on the Parliamentary Commission.
This comes after the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament defected from National Unity Platform (NUP) to the Democratic Front – a political party he currently heads.
During Wednesday’s plenary sitting Mr Odur noted that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi, had reportedly been barred from attending Commission meetings — leaving the Opposition without a clear representative on the powerful parliamentary body.
“We have elected Commissioners from both sides of the House. There have been changes in the final year of this House,” Odur said.
“The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the Parliamentary Commission and has openly complained about being locked out. I would like you to confirm who is the Commissioner designated by the Opposition in light of these changes.”
“Who can I approach as a member of the Opposition to represent me on the Commission, given that the LoP is denied attendance and that, from my understanding, there is now a vacancy on the Opposition side?” he questioned.
In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa dismissed claims that Ssenyonyi had been locked out of Commission meetings, saying his attendance was voluntary.
“The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the Parliamentary Commission and whenever he wants to attend meetings, he does. Whenever he isn’t available, he doesn’t attend,” Tayebwa said.
“But Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo-Mukungwe) is the member of the Commission from the Opposition side, so I don’t have any other useful information.”
Odur, however, insisted that Mpuuga’s change of political affiliation could legally create a vacancy.
“I was asking that question because if you look at the law that governs the Administration of Parliament Act, once a member designated from the Opposition changes a political party, the vacancy automatically occurs,” Odur said.
Tayebwa downplayed the argument, suggesting that Mpuuga still belonged to the broader Opposition.
“And which party has he joined? Has he joined NRM? Because I thought any party that isn’t NRM is an Opposition party,” Tayebwa responded.
“You can help us understand better. You can lend us a few people like how your party (Uganda People’s Congress) lent us, but you still remain as Opposition.”
Odur maintained that the issue required legal clarity, urging the Deputy Speaker to reflect further on it.
“I know as UPC we have lent you a member of the front bench, but this is a matter of law that I would invite for your attention,” he said.
“This is a House of record and we still have other Parliaments to come. I just want to be sure the House is moving in the right direction, so maybe when you retreat to your chambers, you can reflect a little more on it.