Hon. Ssemujju Nganda, the Member of Parliament for Kira Municipality, has expressed concerns over the heightened security presence at Parliament, calling on Speaker Anita Among to empty the building and ensure that all occupants and surrounding offices are thoroughly checked to prevent any firearms from being brought into the Chambers ahead of the expected heated debate on the National Coffee Amendment Bill.
“I am raising a point of privilege to request that we empty the building and subject everyone to security checks, because Parliament must be an atmosphere of free debate,” Ssemujju stated. “We need to inspect all the rooms surrounding the Chambers to ensure that a free atmosphere for debate exists.”
Ssemujju also shared his concerns over the security measures he and other MPs were subjected to upon arriving at Parliament. “I’ve been here for a while, and we’ve been humiliated by security. This didn’t only affect Opposition MPs; we were removed from our vehicles and stopped from parking. There are uniformed security personnel outnumbering the 530 MPs. According to our rules, guns aren’t allowed past the main gate, but I’m not certain that there aren’t guns inside this building. I am raising this because some of us have been victims before.”
However, Speaker Among responded, explaining that she too had been subjected to the same security checks. She also noted that emptying the building would not be feasible due to the presence of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members using the same building.
“We must be mindful that we have EALA members seated in the same building. When we came in, I personally was subjected to a check, and I am not immune to anything,” said Among.
