The Acting Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Francis Mwijukye has raised concern about the scheduled Thursday NRM Parliamentary Caucus meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, to discuss the recently passed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023.
During the Tuesday afternoon plenary sitting, the Acting LOP brought to the attention of the House, the letter written by the Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua inviting members of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus to a meeting at State House Entebbe to discuss among others, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023.
“This House unanimously passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and it was supported by both sides and government gave a certificate of financial implication and so, there was no objection. My concern is that the process of consultation on the Bill ended and we passed a Bill. I see attempts to discuss what we already passed,” said Hon. Mwijukye.
In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said that he had no power over what is discussed in caucuses describing them as internal matters of political parties.
“We did our part, I think we absolved ourselves. We have done our part…I don’t know whether the President is inviting the caucus so that he signs the Bill before the caucus members because they overwhelmingly supported the Bill, but we did our part, we passed the Bill here,” said Hon. Tayebwa.
The Deputy Speaker assured the House that President Museveni is their strong ally in regard to the Bill.
“Let us not go into details of caucuses because we have done our part. If there is any other issue, we are ready to do our part even in a tougher way, in terms of having a much stronger Bill than the one we have. You might find the President found our Bill weak maybe, so we are ready to even make it tougher,” he added.
However, Bukooli County Central MP, Hon. Solomon Silwany told the House that he had received information that the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi has written to the President dissociating himself from the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 passed by Parliament.
“And strongly, advising the President not to sign the Bill,” said Hon. Silwany.
Asked by the Deputy Speaker to clarify, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka confirmed that the office of the Attorney General had rendered advice to the President in the legislative process and requested that parliament allows the process to continue.