MPs drag feet as Minister Janet Museveni insists on Covid tests ahead of Kololo meeting

Members of Parliament have continued to protest the move to have them take covid tests before attending a meeting with the Minister for Education, Janet Kataaha Museveni to discuss the reopening of schools next year.

Last week, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, invited  MPs to a consultative meeting which she said will inform government’s position on the reopening of schools.

“I got a communication from the first lady and minister of education and sports requesting to meet MPs to discuss the reopening of schools, MPs are therefore required to take a covid test on Monday for the Wednesday meeting at the Kololo ceremonial grounds,” Among said but received protests from several legislators.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah told the legislators that nothing had changed from last week’s position and that meeting is scheduled for tomorrow and that in order to attend, each must test a covid test and present valid results.

“We received communication from the Education Minister who wanted to pass on a message on how schools will be opened in January 2022. This is an opportunity for us all to listen and see how we can have these processes to open the schools,”Oulanyah told the MPs.

Let us go and have our Covid tests and we meet in Kololo tomorrow for this meeting. It will be a semi-parliamentary sitting which I will chair. Let us be there and get this information”

MPs protest

However, the Speaker’s communication opened a can of works from the legislators, mainly from the opposition who said by accepting to have the meeting at Kololo and on the invite of the Education Minister, parliament was setting a bad precedent.

“Aren’t we opening a pandora box where ministers will decline to come to Parliament,” Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga questioned.

Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda also shared similar sentiments about the meeting saying it goes against the rules of procedure for a “minister to summon MPs to Kololo after being subject to Covid testing.”

"You didn't subject us to testing today to come to this sitting. We are setting a bad precedent by allowing this to happen,” he argued.

Kampala Central’s Muhammad Nsereko said,” "Why cant the minister present her issues virtually like has been before. How do we interact with her if it is not a sitting house. How shall we ask her questions and how shall we respond? Let us use the virtual space.”

Oulanyah defends move

Amidst the arguments by the legislators, Speaker Oulanyah defended the move by urging the legislators to look at a bigger picture, other than a mere protest.

“My decision(to allow the meeting) is based on the bigger issue of schools re-opening. Iam thinking of the students, pupils and teachers. Banks are taking these schools; we have talked about these issues. If there is any debate to follow up, we shall reconvene and debate. The big picture is preparation of the country for reopening of schools. I encourage you to attend and receive the information rather than dwell on the form by which it is availed," he explained.

"Essentially, this is about pupils and students who have been out of school for long, teachers & parents who are all affected by the impact of COVID-19. The opportunity we have is what we can collectively do to facilitate reopening of schools, a big issue that we must deal with."