The Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, has described those opposing the regional parliamentary sittings as selfish and with no love for northern Uganda.
While chairing the first sitting on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024, at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City, Among said that the Constitution empowers her to proclaim Parliament’s location anywhere in Uganda.
“Where Parliament is, is where the Speaker is, and where the Speaker proclaims, that will be Parliament,” Among said.
She dismissed the notion that Parliament must always convene in the capital, calling it a narrow perspective.
Among them was the claim that regional sittings would impose extra expenditures, saying it was appropriated by the parliament.
“Parliament isn’t a stationary building. The building in Kampala isn’t Parliament; it is an arm of government that can convene in any part of the country,” she said.
She emphasized the need for a people-centered approach, where she reiterated the 11th Parliament’s commitment to prioritize citizen needs since its inception in 2021.
“A people-centered Parliament must be responsive to the needs of the citizens; otherwise, society will suffer from ineffective representation. That is why we are taking Parliament to the people. We have brought Parliament to the people; we don’t want people to come to Parliament,” she noted.