Basalirwa's Double Standard: From Hero to Villain in Ugandan Politics

While presenting a motion to introduce his bill intended to criminalize homosexuality, Asumani Basalirwa vehemently argued convincingly that he was doing all that on behalf of the Ugandan public who were yearning for legislative protection against the predators of the Ugandan children.

Many Ugandans saw and took Asuman Basalirwa as a real defender of our values and they cheered him on. The Uganda public firmly stood with him against all ridicule, intimidation and attacks. The MPs stood with their colleague and gave him all the support that he needed to get his Bill passed which eventually became a law.

All Ugandans irrespective of creed, tribe, political leanings, social or economic strata, have continued to stand and support the legislation against homosexuality which has indeed elevated not only the visibility of the mover, Hon. Asumani Basalirwa but also upped his credibility nationally.

Now, it becomes surprising that it is the same MP Basalirwa who is threatening to drag his colleagues to court simply because he happens to have disagreed with them on the issue of censuring the four Parliamentary Commissioners.

What probably, Mr. Basalirwa is probably forgetting is the fact those MPs who are spearheading the process of censure must have gauged the public pulse and the Uganda public that cheered him on the AHB, on account of desiring to defend our cultural values, they are the same Uganda public that are cheering the Censure movers on account of fighting what has become endemic in Uganda that is corruption and abuse of office.

So the question to be put to Hon Basalirwa is how come when you had a burning agenda which you wanted to be pushed through the Parliamentary process, you sought and relied on the support of the Uganda Public and your colleagues in Parliament, but now when your colleagues try to do the same, you jump up unwittingly to scuttle the process with unparalleled zeal to the extent of vowing to drag everyone to court!

One has now to wonder if there is some special status that Hon. Asumani Basalirwa has over time acquired in Parliament which makes him feel that it is only his line that must be towed and his views that must be adhered to lest he is ready to rock the boat.

Certainly, different MPs have different views regarding the issue of the Commissioners awarding themselves millions of money as service awards, however, the process that is being undertaken offers each one of the dissenting MPs an option not to append their signatures.

This is a more civil way of handling such matters and it was fully envisaged and provided for in the Parliamentary Rules. There certainly can be no need for any Member of Parliament to resort to engaging in altercations over the process of gathering signatures.

If those spearheading the process manage to get the required number of signatures, they will have to formally present their motion to the entire House. This will be the opportunity for anyone to raise all procedural matters including those that Hon. Asumani was trying to force his colleagues to understand when he confronted them at their setup desk of signing.

As we all know, the presiding officer of the day will at all times invoke the guidance of the Rules that govern such occurrences and correct guidance will be provided.

Therefore, it is uncalled for to start jumping the gun for one to go on rage to the extent of issuing threats to fellow MPs.

Edward Baliddawa. Former Member of Parliament

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