Hon. Hamson Dennis Obua, the government Chief Whip on Tuesday 20th June, 2023 presented the reshuffles in the leadership of the parliament’s sectoral committees.
The parliament of Uganda made a reshuffle on the committee leadership in accordance with Rules 160 and 187 of the Rules of Procedure during the 3rd plenary sitting of 3rd year of the 11th parliament.
The reshuffles follow the expiration of the tenure of the previous leadership, which was instituted at the commencement of the current parliament on May 17, 2021.
According to Rules 160 (2) and 187 (1) of the Rules of Procedure, the Chief Whips have the mandate to reshuffle the sectoral committees.
“Rule 187 (1) stipulates that there shall be sector committees of the house, whose members shall be designated by whips on basis of the party or organization representation and interests of independent members in the house at the beginning of every session of parliament,” the Rule of Procedures reads.
In line with the same rule, Rule 160(2) underscores that in the selection of the members of the standing committees, the parties represented in parliament shall designate, through their whips, membership to committees on the basis of party representation in the house.
In the reshuffle, Obua replaced Keefa Kiwanuka with Amos Kakunda as the chairperson of the Finance Committee while Jane Pacutho Avur as his Vice Chairperson.
Wilson Kajwengye Twinomugisha replaced Rose Mary Nyakikongora as chairperson of the Defense Committee, and Ngompek Linos Kibanda as his deputy.
Whereas Grace Okarie Moe was maintained as the chairperson of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, her deputy Agnes Auma was replaced by Agnes Apea Atim.
The roles of the sectoral committees are to examine and comment on policy matters affecting the ministries covered by them, to initiate or evaluate action programs of those ministries and to make appropriate recommendations on them. They also critically examine bills brought before the House before they are debated, to critically examine government recurrent and capital budget estimates and to make recommendations on them for the general debate in the House, to monitor the performance of ministries, and to ensure government compliance.