Deputy Speaker Urges Strict Enforcement Against Absentee MPs in Committees

Parliamentary committee chairpersons have been granted the authority to take decisive action against Members of Parliament (MPs) who habitually miss committee sittings, according to Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa. He emphasized that committee leaders possess powers akin to those of presiding officers in the plenary and should not hesitate to use them to ensure members are present and actively participate in legislative duties.

Tayebwa’s directive came during an induction retreat for the Committee on Government Assurances and Implementation, where its chairperson, Francis Zaake, had voiced concerns over low member attendance. Zaake noted that fewer than half of the committee’s approximately 30 members were present, highlighting a group of “known culprits” who had not attended at all. He vowed to begin enforcing parliamentary rules against such persistent absentees.

“The power I have when I’m chairing the House is the power you have when you’re chairing the committees. Please use it, and you don’t need to seek permission from anyone. We want you to bite. We want members to attend,” Tayebwa stated. He further instructed chairpersons to maintain attendance records and ensure members are not merely signing registers without contributing to proceedings.

This call for stricter attendance follows broader initiatives within Parliament to enhance legislator engagement. An electronic attendance system for plenary sessions was introduced earlier this year, with Tayebwa having previously cautioned MPs about potential constitutional and procedural consequences for consistent absence.

The Deputy Speaker also advised the Government Assurances Committee to expand its oversight beyond physical projects, urging them to scrutinize government commitments on policies, services, and reforms, and assess their reflection in implementation and legislation. He encouraged a focus on engagement and pushing for implementation rather than solely exposing government failures.

Tayebwa also addressed committee funding and travel, noting that resources had been increased while restrictions on foreign travel were imposed to ensure efficiency. He suggested prioritizing regional travel for benchmarking, citing that a trip to the United States could fund multiple trips within Kenya for obtaining similar lessons at a lower cost.

This directive aims to bolster the effectiveness of parliamentary committees, which are vital for scrutinizing government programs and policies on behalf of the entire House. The Government Assurances and Implementation Committee, tasked with tracking over 230 government undertakings, plays a critical role in ensuring public commitments translate into tangible services for citizens.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)