Arcadia Foundation

Ugandan Parliament was a beehive of activity yesterday as new MPs, including Arcadia Foundation Co-Founder Betty Bigombe, began taking their oath of office, ahead of the official opening of the second multiparty Parliament on Thursday.

At least 123 ‘fresh’ MPs were sworn-in including Lubaga North MP Singh Katongole Marwaha whose election was shrouded in controversies. While Mr Marwaha was supposed to be sworn-in today, authorities in Parliament said Mr Singh had requested to take his oath ahead of time.

While Mr Singh said he was going to travel, there was speculation that he could have been favoured for fear of an impending court injunction to block his swearing- in because of the tumult surrounding the vote-recount that gave him the ‘victory’.

Some of the key figures sworn-in yesterday include the Deputy Speaker, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, who is competing for the Speaker job, the Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya, former Security Minister Amama Mbabazi, Army Commander Maj. Gen. Aronda Nyakayirima, former Chief Whip Daudi Migereko, the former minister for Northern Uganda, Ms Betty Bigombe, and the former first deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Gen. Moses Ali, among others.

At least 123 MPs will today take their oath and the remaining 149 members will be sworn-in on Wednesday to conclude the three-day exercise presided over by the Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Aeneas Tandekwire.

Asked if he would want to return as the Vice President of the country, Prof Bukenya said he has never asked for that job but the appointing authority found him a capable assistant because of his traits.

The new MPs promised to fight corruption in the government, improve service delivery and foster unity, democracy and rule of law in a multi-party political setting.

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