HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLENARY PROCEEDINGS OF TUESDAY 21ST APRIL

2020

1. The Sitting, presided over by the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Rebecca A. Kadaga,
commenced at 2:47 pm.
2. In her Communication, the Speaker;
a) Instructed;
i) Members who are yet to register for the Virtual Parliament to
adhere to the call to enroll for it.
ii) The Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline to commence
the process of amending the Rules of Procedure to enable the
operationalization of a Virtual Parliament. She guided the
Committee to draw lessons from the Parliaments of the following
countries that have piloted Virtual Parliaments; Albania, Brazil,
Maldives, Colombia, United Kingdom and Kenya,
b) Took exception to the inefficiency of the Minister of Finance, Planning
and Economic Development in introducing new budget related
documents on a weekly basis, thereby hampering the progress of
Parliament in considering the Budget. This was after she had amended
the Order Paper to accommodate the tabling of a Corrigendum to the
proposed budget for the FY 2020/21 by the Minister.
c) Guided that due to time constraints, the following Members should
consider;
1). Packaging their Urgent Questions as Questions for Oral Answer:
i) Hon. Tumuramye Genensio, MP Kashongi County
ii) Hon. Rwabushaija Margaret, MP Workers
iii) Hon. Rwakoojo Robina Gureme, Gomba West
iv) Hon. Lubogo Kenneth, MP Bulamogi
v) Hon. Mulindwa Isaac Ssozi, MP Lugazi Municipality.
2). Forwarding their Urgent Questions to the National Taskforce on
COVID-19 through the Parliamentary Taskforce:

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 i) Hon. Macho Geoffrey, MP Busia Municipality
ii) Hon. Komakech Lyandro, MP Gulu Municipality
iii) Hon. Ndamira Catheline, Kabale DWR
iv) Hon. Abala David, MP Ngora County
3. The following Urgent Questions were raised:
a) On the breach of the national COVID-19 guidelines on social distancing
and food distribution, by the Minister of State for Micro Finance, Hon.
Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo who, in the guise of donating food to the District
COVID-19 taskforce, had proceeded to actually distribute food to
hundreds of people in Kyotera, oblivious to the threat of COVID-19;
raised by Hon. Ssentongo Robinah Nakasirye, Kyotera DWR.
The Minister of State for Finance in Charge of Planning, Hon. Bahati David
undertook to relay the matter to the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and
Chairperson of the National Taskforce on COVID-19, for action and an
appropriate response on Wednesday 22nd April 2020.
b) On the rampant insecurity in Lamwo District perpetrated by cattle
rustlers from South Sudan and its attendant disruption of the wellbeing
and livelihoods of the population; raised by Hon. Lanyero Molly, Lamwo
DWR.
The Speaker referred the matter to the Minister of Defence for action and
report back on Tuesday 28th April 2020.
c) On the absence of marine ambulances on the Islands on Lake Victoria
and its effect on health care service delivery including the fight against
COVID-19; raised by Hon. Birungi Caroline Nanyondo, Kalangala DWR.
The Speaker informed the House that she had tasked the Committee on
Health and that on Budget to address the matter through appropriate
budgetary allocations in the FY 2019/20.
She referred the matter to the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister/Chairperson of the
National Taskforce on COVID-19.

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 d) On the lapses arising from the policy of testing cross border truck drivers
for COVID-19 and allowing them to proceed with their journeys pending
their test results and the ramifications of the mismatch in government
policy between South Sudan and Uganda on the number of persons
allowed on such trucks; raised by Hon. Akello Lucy, Amuru DWR.
The Speaker directed the Minister of Health to report to the House on the
special interventions for border areas in the management of the threat of
COVID-19; on Thursday 23rd April 2020.
4. The Minister of State for Finance in charge of Planning, Hon. Bahati David
tabled the addendum to the corrigenda to the budget for the FY 2020/21.
The Speaker referred the document to the Budget Committee.
The Minister apologized to the House for the disruption occasioned to the
progress of the House and the Budget Committee in the consideration of the
Budget due to the late and incessant tabling of budget related documents.
5. The House passed the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2020. (The House
specifically passed Clause 1 and amended Clause 2)
6. The Speaker adjourned the House at 5:06pm to Wednesday 22 nd April 2020
at 2:00pm.