Mityana South Member of Parliament Richard Lumu has been granted a Certificate of Financial Implication to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to provide for the election of Leader of the Opposition by the members of the opposition in Parliament from among the members of the opposition in Parliament.
In July 2005, Uganda transitioned from the Movement political system to a multiparty political system through a national referendum.
The adoption of the multi-party system of governance saw the amendment of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda to create the office of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and subsequently, in 2006, the amendment of the Administration of Parliament Act, Cap. 272 to provide for the office of Leader of the Opposition.
“I have received the Certificate of Financial Implication from the Ministry of Finance, I have really been disturbing the Minister, and the Minister has responded positively. Definitely, they have removed some of my propositions. For example, I wanted an additional commissioner; they have removed that one,” Lumu said.
After obtaining leave by Parliament in August 2024, Lumu explained that his proposal would require the main opposition party to propose three names and allow MPs to choose from them.
“The proposal that requires amending the Constitution, I am going to present them differently in the near future because I didn’t want to mix them up because I will face the same fate that was faced by my brother Medard Sseggona. So, I have separated the two, and I am bringing them in different intervals,” he said.
In his initial proposal, Lumu also proposed to increase the number of members of the Parliamentary Commission to represent all other small political parties in Parliament because the current composition grants the NRM Party three slots, while the other one slot is taken up by the main opposition party.
Lumu, however, revealed that the Ministry rejected some of his proposals, like increasing the number of members of the Parliamentary Commission, as such a move would impose a charge on the consolidated fund.
