Speaker wants government to explain procedure on who qualifies to lie in state

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has given one-month ultimatum to the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, to present a government policy detailing the kind of people parliament is supposed to pay tribute to.

According to the speaker the existing law only allows serving members of Parliament to lay in state something which does not favour many prominent Ugandans.

On Monday, Parliament paid tribute to Edward Lokori Athiyo, the first person from Karamoja to serve in cabinet but his body was not taken to the chambers.

The same happened when the former Attorney General Peter Nyombi died last year.

Kadaga said it is the government to be blame for the delay in presenting a policy that explains the kind of person that is supposed to be brought to parliament for a special sitting.

She gave Rugunda one month to present a policy that will guide on who is supposed to be brought to Parliament.

She said some grieving families have faulted her for not according a special sitting to their dear ones who have worked for the development of this country.

In the same Tuesday sitting, Kadaga told off legislators that Parliament will pay their OTT tax hence ordering the clerk to Parliament to cancel the deal that had been signed between parliament and MTN.

This follows a public outcry against the decision by the legislators to put their OTT tax burden on the tax payers.