Parliament found itself in tumultuous waters when Juliet Kinyamatama, the Rakai District Woman MP, accused Francis Zaake, the Mityana Municipality MP, of making highly defamatory remarks during his recent visit to Rakai district. The heated exchange led to Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa adjourning the session for 10 minutes to regain order.

Kinyamatama shocked the assembly with her claims, stating that the words uttered by Francis Zaake were so deplorable that she could not even bring herself to repeat them. She insisted that a video clip of the alleged incident be played before Parliament to expose the derogatory language used against her to the world.

However, Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju, challenged this request, questioning the wisdom of airing remarks that Kinyamatama herself found too disturbing to articulate. He raised concerns about external matters being introduced into parliamentary proceedings.

Ssemujju said, “I have a problem with matters happening outside Parliament coming here and becoming part of parliamentary business. The colleague complaining has stated that she can’t even utter what was said. How can Parliament listen to what she herself cannot say?”

In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa referred the matter to Parliament’s Rules, Privileges & Discipline committee for investigation. Kinyamatama, however, protested this decision, accusing Parliament of attempting to cover up Zaake’s behavior due to his gender.

Kinyamatama declared, “Let that video be played. I want the world to see what he said. Why are we covering up evil? An attack on a woman is an attack on all of us as female MPs. I have maintained my composure, but I want this house to witness what exactly transpired. We can’t protect men who don’t respect women. I cannot be called what he called me.”

She reiterated that the words uttered by Zaake were so reprehensible that she couldn’t bear to repeat them but insisted that the video clip be played before Parliament so that the world could hear the derogatory words used against her.

Despite their previous boycott, opposition MPs, who had demanded a government apology for the mistreatment of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi and the siege on the National Unity Platform (NUP) party headquarters, were present to hear the government’s response to their grievances.

Notably, the Constitutional Court recently invalidated the parliamentary resolution to remove Zaake from his position as a Parliamentary Commissioner. The Court ruled that the then Deputy Speaker, Anita Among, who presided over the matter, had violated the principles of natural justice by not recusing herself as the complainant.

This case emerged from a successful petition by Zaake challenging the March 10, 2022, parliamentary resolution that removed him from the parliamentary commission for alleged indiscipline based on a report by the Rules, Discipline, and Privileges Committee chaired by Abdu Katuntu.

Zaake’s troubles began when he criticized the Speaker on social media for her comments during a plenary session honoring legislators and parliamentary staff who had participated in the East African Legislative Assembly Games in Tanzania. The remarks came at a time when legislators were expressing concerns about the increasing cases of torture by security agencies.

Among directed the Committee to investigate Zaake following a motion for his removal based on allegations of abusing the Speaker using his social media handle. Dissatisfied with the impeachment resolution, Zaake petitioned the Constitutional Court, arguing that Parliament had not followed proper procedures, and that members of the Rules Committee had received improper payments.

The Constitutional Court agreed with Zaake, stating that there was no quorum present when the resolution was passed, and the motion had been irregularly added to the order paper. Additionally, the Justices noted that Parliament had breached its own rules of procedure, and Among had acted as a judge in her own case.