Janet Museveni calls off Kololo meeting with MPs
The Minister for Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni has called off the scheduled meeting with Members of Parliament at Kololo independence grounds meant to discuss the reopening of schools next year.
“The meeting between Ministry of Education and Sports and Members of Parliament that was scheduled for Wednesday November, 24 has been postponed,” a statement by the ministry read in part.
Keep Reading
Whereas no reason was given for postponement of the meeting, the Education Ministry said a new date for the same will be announced.
The development comes on the backdrop of protests by legislators who insisted it was not right for a minister to summon them for a meeting.
“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.
Kalungu West MP, Joseph Ssewungu urged that funds meant to organize the meeting should be used be put for proper use.
“Why cant we instead give the money that will be spent to facilitate this consultative meeting with the minister to the schools that have been affected the Covid situation to aid their reopening in January 2020,” Ssewungu wondered.
However, the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah advised that it would be better if the legislators went and listened to the program of the Education Ministry in reopening the schools other than dismissing the meeting.
“Essentially, this is about pupils and students who have been out of school for long, teachers and 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,”Oulanyah said.
