Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya was compelled to suspend Thursday’s plenary session without touching a single element on the order paper.
The Speaker failed entirely to control the sitting.
He said he was unwilling to chair a house of MPs that were unwilling to sit down.
The fully-packed house kicked off by interrupting Oulanyah’s introductory comments, which cantered on condemnation of the heavy police deployment around the parliamentary building.
Opposition Members of Parliement donning red head bands on their way our of the chamber after the house was suspended
MPs mostly on the opposition side rejected the defence given by Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, who explained that Police were acting on fears that some people were planning to disrupt business at the house.
Shouting on top of their voices, the opposition MPs stopped the Premier from addressing the house in response to the concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza.
Opposition MPs causing chaos on the floor of the house
At one point, Aruu County MP Odonga Otto rose on point of order asking that Minister Evelyne Anite be subjected to the disciplinary committee for endangering the lives of fellow MPs.
Otto claimed that Anite by publicising the names of MPs supporting the removal of the Presidential Age Limit, put their lives at risk.
“This morning a woman was attacked in Kampala by people who though she was the Rakai Woman MP,” he claimed.
Otto asked that Anite is subjected to an 8-year ban from the House.
This motion, however, was rejected by Oulanyah on grounds that the house, has only 4 years left on its term and couldn’t suspend a member for 8 years.
Mukono MP Betty Nambooze before the start of the plenary grabbed an Army’s cap. She said she wanted to show the regime that even the weapons they use against Ugandans can be removed from them
With more chaotic scenes cropping up, the speaker was compelled to suspend the house to Tuesday next week.
Celebration
Members of Parliament on the opposition ululated with excitement, some of them breaking into songs as they left the chamber.
The Opposition MPs blew whistles which they had sneaked into the house, and others donned red headbands.
Outside Parliament, FDC’s Semujju Nganda promised more chaos in the future.
He said, there constitutional amendment would not be allowed on the floor, and that “We will never debate on Gun Point.”