News reaching our desk indicate that there’s an unusual atmosphere at The Parliament of Uganda after all staff who were working in the Leader of Opposition (LoP) office with Mpuuga were fired by the clerk to Parliament.
According to letters sent to the different staff by the clerk of Parliament, the staff did have their contracts renewed after the expiry of Mpuuga’s 2.5 year teem as Leader of Opposition. Reports indicate that Parliament is implementing a decision by the leadership of the House where all staff contracts are to be eliminated and instead those those recommended for permanent staff will take over the different roles.
NUP being the leading Opposition political party in Parliament had to appoint its parliamentary leadership with the associated staff. Among these included policy analysts and researchers who would help the Opposition leadership in Parliament in drawing arguments and preparing documentation for presentation before Parliament and all these were on contractual basis.
Midway the two and half contracts, the parliamentary commission where the Leader of Opposition also sits with one opposition commissioner of Parliament made a decision that 2002 order by the then speaker Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi led parliamentary commission needed to be implemented.
Sources at Parliament told this publication that the then Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga said he would consult with the NUP secretatiqbefore a decision taken to put all staff on contracts on a permanent arrangement at Parliament.
National Unity Platform however declined the offer and said putting all its members sent to Parliament as permanent staff members would change their loyalty from the party to the state”- a source who preferred anonymity told this publication.
It’s is upon such a background that all Opposition staff on contracts were not instituted on a permanent staff basis save for a few who had Connections within the parliamentary leadership that were accorded the opportunity.
Therefore upon the expiry of the term of office of the Leader of Opposition, the contracts of all those who were appointed as staff in the office were also expiring hence the clerk of parliamentary writing to thempuum letters indicating that there will be no contract renewal or the acceptance of new staff on contractual basis.
That all positions remaining vacant are currently being filled by the staff from the research department of Parliament. Also, the incoming leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi can neither appoint an administrative assistant with the slots that have always been available.
Now NUP is grappling with shock and uncertainties on the next course of action after their failure to appoint those who would take up the positions at the time Parliament asked them to do so.
Other offices affected by the changes include that of the Leader of Government businesses, commissioners with more than 80.