Speaker Anitah Among has vowed to continue holding regional parliamentary sittings, despite public criticism and boycott from some Opposition MPs, saying Parliament can proclaim to hold a sitting anywhere in Uganda, even in the middle of the road.
Among made the remarks while addressing journalists during the visit to Late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s home in Omoro district, where she defended the regional sittings arguing that there are MPs who do not even know the road leading to Gulu, and it is time Gulu also benefited from having Parliamentary sittings.
“The sitting in Gulu and greater North is a normal sitting. Parliament isn’t a building in Kampala, we can proclaim and sit anywhere in this country, even in the middle of the road, that is what the law says. And bringing Parliament to sit in Gulu is an added advantage to the people of the Northern region. Gulu or Northern Region belongs to Uganda and because it belongs to Uganda, it must benefit from what the normal sittings that take place in Kampala benefits,” Among said.
“There are MPs who don’t even know the road to Gulu, but now when we are sitting in Gulu, you find all the hotels are full, all the food is being eaten. People are benefitting. But it is also important for us to take Parliament to the people. We are elected by the people, so it is just prudent enough for us to take Parliament to the people, not always people going to Parliament,” she remarked.
“It is nothing peculiar, it has ever happened and it is going to continue happening. Those who are saying they are going to boycott or whichever, it is going to continue happening until we say stop. Parliament will sit here, and it will go to another region, but the first priority was Gulu for us to recognize that the Late Speaker came from Gulu,” added the Speaker.
The Speaker also promised to continue supporting late Oulanyah’s family as long as she is still Speaker, because she still has another term to serve as Speaker of Parliament and there are plans underway to send Oulanyah’s daughter Karen Atim abroad to study pediatrics as promised to the father.
“When we were here, we made the commitment that we would support the family and I pray that we aren’t disappointed. We supported Andrew to become the MP because he was the eldest boy around, we also supported the smallest boy, and we are educating Atim and we are only waiting for her admission for us to send her out to do pediatrics as promised to the brother. And our being here is part of the love we have for the Late Jacob Oulanyah. He was a brother, a friend and our leader. And being our leader, friend and brother, his family remains our family,” she said.
