BY ALEX DON
Tensions flared in Parliament Today Thursday during the #PlenaryUg session as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, strongly criticized the statement presented by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao.
Hon. Ssenyonyi accused Mao of violating Article 92 of the Constitution, which prohibits Parliament from enacting any law that seeks to overturn or countermand a judgment of the courts. He argued that the Minister’s statement, which reportedly attempted to address or reinterpret recent court rulings, overstepped legal boundaries and set a dangerous precedent.
“The Minister’s statement not only contravenes Article 92, but it also fails to sufficiently address the core issues at hand,” Ssenyonyi said on the floor of Parliament, urging the House to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
The Deputy Speaker responded by directing Minister Mao to update and resubmit his statement for further scrutiny. Shortly after, the plenary was adjourned sine die—with no date set for the next sitting.
Hon. Mao, in an earlier defense of the government’s position, remarked that “some people talk as if everyone in Uganda is in jail,” a comment that drew mixed reactions and further fueled the debate around human rights and the rule of law in the country.
The unfolding drama in Parliament underscores the growing political tensions and the increasingly intense scrutiny facing the Executive’s actions, especially in matters touching the Constitution and judicial independence.
Observers now await the revised statement from Hon. Mao and any potential legal or political fallout from the controversy.
ctvuganda
