KAMPALA – The Chairperson, Natural Resources Committee, Keefa Kiwanuka has apologized for failing to follow decorum when it came to discussing Parliamentary affairs and vowed to limit his discussions with President Yoweri Museveni on constituency matters.
“Her concern was that before sending the letter, I should have talked to her and she should have been the person to write to the President which I have profoundly apologized for. I have apologized to the Speaker and I think that matter is resolved and I have said I will not write again other than matters of the constituency,” said Keefa.
Keefa found himself in the eye of the storm after Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga warned MPs against discussing matters of Parliament before the President after receiving information that some Committee chairpersons were writing to the President without her knowledge.
The Speaker said: “I have received evidence that some of the chairpersons have taken it upon themselves to communicate to the head of state on matters of this house, without even the courtesy of informing me, or even consulting me.”
However the Speaker told MPs that the caveat doesn’t extend to them discussing constituency affairs with the President, “ I just want to remind members that the Speaker is the only person with rights over matters of this house, if it is about your constituency that is fine, but if it is about this House, if this happens again, you know what will happen to you.”
Despite the fact that the Speaker didn’t mention the Committee Chairperson who had leaked Parliament information to State House, documents making rounds showed that Keefa had authored a letter to the President asking him to intervene on the decision by the board of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to fire the Executive Director Godfrey Turyahikayo.
However, the Speaker was made aware of Keefa’s letter after some MPs on the Natural resources Committee wrote to her distancing themselves from the letter saying there was no meeting held to discuss the Rural Electrification matter.
