The Shadow cabinet members have been urged to take interest and understand key government programmes if they are to question and interrogate their efficiency and sustainability.
Hon Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition, made the call in an address to the shadow cabinet attending a retreat at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The retreat is part of a series of training put in place to strengthen the performance of the Opposition in Parliament.
During the retreat held on Friday, 25 February 2022, Mpuuga says that often times the Government brings in programmes that require scrutiny and interrogation by the Opposition, but some Members do not take interest.
He says without knowledge and information; MP’s oversight roles are limited.
He cited the Parish Development Model (PDM) which is being fronted by the Government as the next big thing to lift Ugandans from a subsistence economy to a money economy but needs to be interrogated by the Opposition.
“I have been witnessing minister after minister launching the parish model, and everyone is saying this is magical. Have you taken off time as a legislator to understand the depth, the extent, the reach of this model that has no approved guidelines,” Mpuuga questioned?
He sought to find out if the MPs have knowledge and understanding to interrogate the programme.
Mpuuga said that money will be released on behalf of the MPs, and to avoid being part of this, the MPs should be seen to question some of these actions.
The PDM is a strategy for organising and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit.
The programme will see each of the 10,594 parishes a revolving fund.
Mpuuga also in the same event asked the MPs to self-reflect especially on their contributions in the committee, plenary in order to make themselves better. He says that whereas when the MPs had taken oath, they did not understand how Parliament operates, this time is the time when their work and presence must be felt.
He also tipped the MPs on balancing between working in Parliament and having an impact in their constituencies.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
