Since she was appointed minister for education and sports nine months ago, First Lady Janet Museveni had skipped every scheduled meeting with the line education parliamentary committee, angering MPs.
But when her ministry’s budget was up for consideration last Tuesday, Janet appeared before the committee. Last month, some MPs publicly voiced their anger at the first lady’s continued snubbing of committee summons.
Two MPs asked that she resigns after she skipped an appearance before the parliamentary committee on education and sent the minister of state for higher education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, to defend her ministry’s budget estimates, which were under scrutiny by MPs.
After our report titled, “First lady absence sparks MPs’ walkout,” was published on February 1, Janet Museveni reportedly wrote to the committee leadership. In the letter, she said she would appear before the committee on February 7 but the meeting was called off to allow MPs attend the NRM caucus meeting at State House, which endorsed the six ruling party flag bearers for the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).
In the follow-up letter, the committee clerk Geoffrey Owilli said the meeting would discuss the minister’s vision and priorities for the sector and that MPs would be free to raise matters affecting the education sector.
“The meeting is in part intended to address the concerns expressed by some members of the committee about the absence of the minister from committee meetings during consideration of the ministry’s budget,” the letter partly read.
On Tuesday, Janet Museveni made her way to committee room 139 on the north wing side of parliament by 10am amid tight security. Her security detail took charge of all the three gates of parliament, the corridor connecting parliament to the President’s office and five of the six levels of parliament. Her bodyguards, about 15, manned the entrance to the committee room.
For journalists, entry to the committee room was restricted to the few that were in the room before the MPs and Janet Museveni entered. During her presentation, she told the committee: “my strategic direction is to ensure that the aforesaid interventions guided by both national and international agenda are implemented in an effective and efficient manner to enhance education service delivery in the country,” she told the committee
“My prayer to honorable members of parliament is to request that you understand that when I fail to turn up in person, receive my colleagues to represent our sector in good spirit.”
MPs Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu (Kalungu West) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) argued that it was time for Janet to resign her ministerial job because she has demonstrated that she can’t shoulder the heavy schedule of the two offices of first lady and minister.
TIGHT SECURITY
Some MPs criticized security operatives for blocking journalists from accessing the committee room and the high presence of security personnel within parliament.
Morris Ogenga Latigo (Agago North), the former leader of opposition, described the blocking of journalists as unfortunate.
“It is a requirement for the first lady that she remains accessible to MPs and journalists because education is such a basic ministry that handles issues at the lowest level of society. The minister must be accessed at all times by all people and if she cannot stand it, it’s important that president relieves her of her ministerial duty so that she remains first lady,” Latigo told The Observer.