MPs should discipline Zaake Francis to protect Parliament’s image!

Last week, the Parliament of Uganda was treated to a drama when the Woman MP for Rakai District Juliet Kinyamatama complained about the manner in which the Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake abused her when he went to her constituency. MP Zaake attacked the Rakai Woman MP Juliet Kinyamatama and Buyamba County MP Javira Semwanga using derogatory and demeaning words which prompted the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa to play the video clip to the House and subsequently referring the issue to the Rules Committee of Parliament.

In the video clip that has since been circulating, Zaake who was addressing a crowd in Rakai District attacked the two NRM legislators referring to them as stupid, dead, prostitutes, stinking etc. He also said Parliament was useless and had turned into a mere talk show where everything said is left there. The words used in Zaake’s speech were derogatory, demeaning, abusive and unhonourable of a person of an MP.

This is not the first time Zaake was doing this, it his character. In 2022 Zaake used abusive, demeaning and derogatory words against the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Annet Anita Among as well as Parliament and this ended in his impeachment from the position of Commissioner Of Parliament. In the 10th Parliament Zaake attacked the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof Barnabas Nawangwe in corridors of Parliament and caused a stampede. Nawangwe had come to appear before a Parliamentary Committee! Earlier this year he again caused a stampede when he attempted to raise an issue in Parliament without following the Rules of Procedure and caused the presiding officer to adjourn tue House for some minutes.

From these and many more incidences, it’s evident that Zaake either has a mental problem that needs him to visit a physiatrist or he chooses to compensate his inability to speak in Parliament through creating controversies that keep him in news for cheap popularity.

Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa Chairing the House

It is not surprising that Zaake doesn’t attend Parliamentary sessions or Committee sessions to raise national or constituency issues. For the seven years he has been in the house he has never raised any meaningful point in Parliament, but chooses to play to the gallery in only controversial circumstances!

Whereas he could be forgiven because of his intellectual deficiencies or rather accepted and tolerated as another “village idiot” that found himself in the national assembly, his behavior puts Parliament in bad light. It also embarrasses him as a leader but most importantly the people of Mityana Municipality whom he represents.

I now see why every time he encounters security agencies he is tortured or badly beaten, his big headedness can not save him!

Therefore Parliament should not bend too low to accommodate mediocres who don’t respect themselves, MPs should give him a maximum punishment, that will teach him as a person, his colleagues in the NUP but most importantly the people of Mityana Municipality.

If he doesn’t change his behavior, the people of Mityana should not return such a person to represent them in Parliament lest they get nothing at the end of the term!

georges2010ug@gmail.com