OUT OF ORDER! Speaker bans deputy AG Kafuuzi from parliament over LGBT bill fallout
Speaker Among has banished the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi from ever participating in the processing of bills in Parliament, accusing him of being dishonest and waging an attack on Parliament after asking President Museveni not to ascent to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
The Speaker made her verbal artillery during the plenary sitting in response to a letter authored by President revealing his decision not to assent to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Museveni premised his decision on the advice given by the Deputy Attorney General, who alleged that Parliament forced him to concede to some clauses in the bill, despite not meeting the legal test.
The Speaker argued that whereas Article 119(3) of the constitution designates the Attorney General to be the principal legal adviser of Government, the same constitutional obligation requires that such advice when given must be honest and reliable, and she expressed disappointment over Kafuuzi’s actions describing them as an attack on Parliament.
She said, “That is an attack on parliament, you will not attack parliament when we are here. That attack on shouldn’t continue. We must act with honesty, this business of agreeing then you go and write contrary to what was agreed here and say the Speaker forced me, I don’t force anybody to concede. I want to give an order that we will not pass any bill when the Attorney General himself isn’t in the house. We can’t continue dealing with people who aren’t honest. Whatever we are going not people who portray dishonesty.”
Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality) questioned the suspicious absence of the Attorney General for subbing Parliament sitting when the Anti-Gay Bill 2023 was being considered, wondering if this was a ploy by the Attorney General’s chambers to front the interests of the gays in Uganda.
“I am not happy with Kafuuzi, but I also don’t want to be played. The day we were passing this bill, the Attorney General wasn’t here, there was a time he came here to follow up bills of one sentence. Even that letter of Kafuuzi, it appears it was solicited. You can see the Kafuuzi was sent in, and when you look at the person here, and the one who is supposed to represent the interests of homosexuals is the one you see here. And that is why I wanted to lynch Kafuuzi, but the person to lynch is the Attorney General,” remarked Ssemujju.
Attorney General, Kiryowa, in his response denied the conspiracy theory fronted by Ssemujju arguing that there is sufficient evidence indicating he was away in the United States on official duty and promised to clean up his chambers so as to ensure this drama never reoccurs.
“The position I hold I can’t be away on official business there is sufficient business I was carrying ours is a matter of advice, I was in US on that day. We have stated on record that this won’t happen again, even when we have a disagreement with Parliament, we shall communicate it with Parliament,” said Kiryowa.
When asked to defend his actions, Kafuuzi remarked, “I do understand the mood. And I also understand the mood with which we passed this law, so when someone expresses disappointment, I think I understand the disappointment. My role is to advice the President.”
But when asked by Speaker to admit he also wrote to the President over this matter, Kafuuzi declined prompting to cut short his statement and warned him against disrespecting the Speaker.
The angry Speaker said, “There is one Speaker in this House, and you will never come and disrespect the speaker. You cannot report this house and say that we made a mistake and we forced you, and from today onwards, you will not come to this house and defend any bill. You will not do it under my leadership.”
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