The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has assented to the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
This was announced by Deputy Speaker Anita Among in her communication to Members of Parliament.
“Actually members, I would like to inform you that our maiden bill has been assented to by the President, it is our maiden bill,” Among said.
The implementation of the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2021 will now take effect from the date the President assented to the Act. It is not yet clear exactly when the president assented to the Act.
The Act now provides for the Deputy Speaker of Parliament to be a member of the Parliamentary Commission. Initially, the Deputy Speaker was not a Member of the Parliamentary Commission, but would only sit in attendance since the law construed the Speaker and Deputy Speaker as one. The Deputy Speaker will now chair the meetings of the Commission.
The Parliamentary Commission will now compose of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Leader of Government Business, the Leader of Opposition, the Minister responsible for Finance, and four backbench Commissioners who are Members of Parliament, one of whom shall come from the opposition and none of whom shall be a minister.
The Bill that was tabled by Kilak North County MP Anthony Akol also repeals the Institute of Parliamentary Studies Act, 2020, which renamed the Institute as ‘Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga Institute of Parliamentary Studies’ (RAKIPS)’ and gave it an autonomous status.
It provides for a transitional clause that will allow staff working under the Institute to revert back into the Parliamentary Service. The Institute will now remain a department like any other department in the Parliament of Uganda.
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