On Tuesday, the two opposition legislators Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West and his Kawempe North counterpart Muhammad Ssegirinya appeared in the Parliament for the plenary sitting since August 2021.
Their appearance in the House was welcomed by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa who chaired the plenary. “We are excited to be welcoming back our two colleagues Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya. We are happy to see that our colleagues are able to join us.”
The duo were expected to be given time to make their maiden speeches probably to inform the House about their prison ordeal but the Deputy Speaker just proceeded with the program on the order paper.
The Opposition Chief Whip John Baptist Nambeshe tried to request the Deputy Speaker to grant the two legislators an opportunity to make speeches on their first day of re-appearing in the House since 2021, however his request fell on deaf ears.
“Thank you very much Rt Hon Speaker I want to join you Mr Speaker sir to welcome back our two colleagues who happen to be on our side on the political divide to the House. The Hon Ssewanyana Allan and Hon Ssegirinya Muhammad. Mr Speaker, they have been a voice of the voiceless in their constituencies and for close to two years their constituencies have missed out on that voice.
“And I would like also to thank them for the wisdom they have used in getting here beating the Police spokesperson Mr Enanga at his own game who was anticipating a procession and had promised to fight them but Mr Speaker I hold this view given that this would be the best time for them to be accorded an opportunity to make their maiden speeches. So that their people are given an opportunity to hear from them. I so request Mr Speaker sir,” said Nambeshe.
However, Mr. Tayebwa responded;
“Thank you, colleagues we have very clear rules especially when you make statements of that nature, these are statements of personal explanation which are provided for in our rules and the procedure is very clear that you link up with the Speaker and you are given a substantive time on the order paper to make that statement and the honourable colleagues will get the time and make such speeches because they have their rights as Members of Parliament, we are all excited to see them back and we want to see them speaking on the floor, so at a right time it will be given okay!”
Despite the number of pleas that were raised from the opposition side, the plenary chairperson went on with the programs on the order paper.
Meanwhile, the two Members of Parliament have been out of Parliament since September 2021 when they were arrested after being accused of taking part in the wave of machete killings that took place in the Greater Masaka area in 2021 where over 30 people were killed.
The two have been lockup up for over two years in the government penitentiaries-Kitalya and Kigo. They were released on bond in February this year.
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