By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Thomas Bangirana Tayebwa was on Thursday (October 12) forced to adjourn Parliament until next week after some MPs attempted to assault Mityana municipality member of parliament Hon. Francis Zaake Butebi.
The incident followed a procedural matter raised by the Rakai District Woman Representative, Hon. Suubi Kinyamatama over a video in which MP Zaake issued defamatory statements against her outside parliament.
According to the victim, the demeaning statements were uttered out by Hon. Zaake on October 9 at one of the rallies held in Rakai District.
“I raise on a procedural matter. On the 9 October one of our members, the Hon Zaake [went to my constituency] and used defamatory words against me. I cannot mention the remarks here and I ask that the ICT department plays the video,” Hon. Kinyamatama said.
The situation became drastic as the Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda challenged the decision to play the video on a national television yet the victim could not utter the delgatory statements herself.
The deputy speaker preferred that the matter be referred to the disciplinary committee of parliament but Hon. Kinyamatama protested noting that an attack on her is an attack on all women in and outside the house. This prompted the deputy speaker to put a question on whether the video should be played in the plenary or the matter be referred to disciplinary committee but majority voted in favour of playing the video in plenary.
As the video played, section of legislators became highly charged and attempted to assault MP Zaake accusing him of making defamatory remarks against Kinyamatama and misconduct.
He was saved by the opposition MPs to who shielded him from being lynched prompting the deputy speaker, Thomas Tayebwa to adjourn the house until Tuesday next week.
