The Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Francis Zaake Butebo, was served the sweet bitter taste of indiscipline during the Wednesday plenary parliamentary session.
Drama ensued inside the parliamentary chambers when MP Zaake disrespectfully and repeatedly hurled insults at Anthony Akol, the MP of Kilak North County in Amuru district.
Despite Akol’s patience, and pleading with Zaake to occupy any free seat since the Speaker had previously evoked Rule 9 of parliamentary procedure that allowed free sitting, he maintained an emotional reaction.
His 40th day to pay for the arrogance and political indiscipline arrived when he attempted to lift MP Akol, whose physical weight would double his from the seat.
In a fit of rage, Zaake, shouting at the top of his voice in Luganda, tried to grab Akol, who was sitting honorably by his lap and chest with the plan to lift him off the seat, but the man from the park line swiftly jumped up like a trained SFC Commando and hit Zaake in the head.
MP Akol rained at least 12 heavy punches on Zaake’s head within a pace of 5 microseconds, knocking him off the parliamentary boxing ring instantly.
(In the clip below, MP Zaake was seen threatening to punch another member. Courtesy clip)
Zaake’s trouble started when he demanded that the house be suspended for a few minutes to allow thorough security checks on members to ascertain whether or not there was a gun in the house.
He (Zaake) became impatient and attempted to check the officer whom he had accused of having a gun by himself. At this point, the speaker was heard saying, Members, members, before she was also whisked away for safety by her security details.
She later suspended some 12 legislators after a fight that broke out in the House on Wednesday morning.
The MPs are Anthony Akol, Kayima, Aloysious Mukasa, Tebandeke, Ssasaga, Francis Zaake, Asinansi Nyakato, Kabuye, Susan Mugabi, Shamim Malende, and Nyeko.
The House was scheduled to debate the contested Coffee Amendment Bill, which seeks to, among others, take UCDA back to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries as a department.
Some MPs were heard thanking Akol for making Zaake taste the sweet, bitter taste of Uganda’s hot coffee.
The coffee was served well by a fellow legislator, Anthony Akol, who represents Kilak North Constituency on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.
