05252013Headline:

OIL BILL: Clause 9 Okayed

Posted about 169 days ago by Alex Masereka | 31 comments
 

Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya Presided Over the proceedings

The parliament of Uganda on Friday passed the contentious Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) bill into law bringing to rest the controversy surrounding clause 9 that gives the  minister for Energy unrestricted powers to grant or revoke oil licenses.

The bill was passed with 149 Members of Parliament voting in favour while only 39 MPs voted against the bill, an indication that the ruling National Resistance Movement had used its overwhelming majority in the house to its advantage. 188 Members of Parliament were in attendance.

National Youth MP Monica Amoding, Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, Rwampara MP Vincent Kyamadidi, Ibanda North MP Kyoma Xavier and Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo all of the ruling party refused to tow the party line and voted against.

Opposition MPs formed Majority of the lawmakers who opposed passing of the bill in its current form. Clause 9 of the bill also gives the minister powers to negotiate and endorse petroleum agreements.

Last week the speaker of Parliament Honorable Rebecca Kadaga was forced to suspend Parliament after proceedings in the house turned rowdy as Members of Parliament who opposed passing of the bill in its current form disrupted business.

Following the fracas, the Speaker ordered an investigation into the chaos that marred Parliament’s proceedings.

“I wish to therefore direct that the Rules, Privileges and Discipline Committee looks into the unruly and disorderly behaviour of some the members who participated in the proceedings of yesterday,” Kadaga ordered

The MPs had failed to agree on whether to re-commit the controversial clause 9 after Minister Irene Muloni had proposed re committing of the clause. MPs on the Parliamentary Forum on Oil and Gas had amended the provisions.

On Wednesday President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni replaced his address to Parliament to attend a caucus meeting of the ruling National Resistance Movement MPs to try and inform the legislator of his party about the importance of passing the bill.

The legislators who opposed the clause say it is subject to manipulation and wanted that power vested in an independent Petroleum Authority.

 
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  • Samuel Binen

    So long as the minister will do the right thing there will be no problem.

    • The Ugandan…

      Why put them in a vulnerable position in the first place?

      On the other hand, a committee of bureaucrats would take too long to make decisions.

    • Kaibanda

      hahaha…u really have belief in this system!!!

    • Oketch R.

      What good thing can ever be been done by any minister in this country? They do not have independence to do anything! They are puppets of appointing authority. Aren’t you aware of what happened when the Minister for energy & Mineral resources attempted to reach a compromise with MPs, which ideally should have been the right thing to do? I pity you!

    • WYCLIEF GOMA

      my BRO SAMUEL there is no minister in Uganda now days who is doing right things

  • http://www.areauganda.org mpagi

    BAYUDDA TUYITA NABO

  • Mray

    Bt we have already seen ministers impliated in the same oil sacas! Dnt expect miraclles, corruption is here to stay

  • Ado Kaka

    The oil wealth joins Paye As Kaguta Earns to enrich the kleptocrasy! Woe unto this country!

  • stephen

    what if the opposition was the one in power, would they refuse to give power to their minister? they are refusing becuase NRM is the one in power but if they are the one in power, giving their minister power is ok.

    • Paul

      Thanks Stephen, but stop imaginations and discuss the problem at hand, the reality being that the government has erred and dictated on the governance of a public resource. This is a recipe for disaster and I pitty the future of this country under this regime.

      • andywlls

        You’re spot on Paul.

  • damshae

    the minister will never do the right thing since he/she will be working under museveni’s order and yet we know museveni and his corrupt group are uganda’s problem

  • Jonathan Kalani

    It is Oulanyah who presides over contentious issues and passes them against the interests of the people. When it is him in charge, I am worried. He is worse than Ssekandi as speaker.

  • Vcent

    I knew Oulanya wd make it that way

  • Simon Peter

    What did ugandans expect from a parliament dominated by NRM MPs? Secondly, am not a prophet of doom but for sure nothing good will come out of our oil other than serving the interests of the minister in-charge, the appointing authority(M7) and small cacoon around him.period.

    • grace

      Nice comment peter simon, i wish other pple can observer the same way, we would be far now, but we have people who still have hopes in this regime….

      God bless you.

      Grace.

  • http://www.redpepper.co.ug samir

    Why does Kadaga always dodge presiding over controversial bills ?. every time difficult situation emerges in the parliament she dedicates deputy speaker to take over. Is it her trick to appear clean always?. If she can avoid difficult decisions in parliament, how about when she become president?. Kadaga, Ugandans are watching you as your ability is being tested in Parliament.

  • http://hotmail Peter

    Where were all the members of the plotted house? I don’t see why Ugandans have to abide by some of these laws. Now wait for the appointee!

  • http://WeTotallyRejectHOMOSEXUALITY Okello

    No doubt it is Oulanya who championed this. True messenger of doom. HISTORY is waiting to Judge you ‘HON’

  • http://mmu.ac.ug Bwambale

    Its so sad that even the 9th parliament which had proven to be outstanding is now disappointing and of no use to a common Ugandan. Shame upon my mps from Kasese

  • Richard

    As long as you have a legitimate and popularly elected Government in place, you have to trust the leaders. Denying them such powers would be tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the Government. I am very certain the opposition would also want such powers if they were the ones holding the mantle.

  • youngman

    @ Simon Peter! The dominancy of the seat in parliament by NRM shouldn’t have been the fear by the common Ugandan, but the way they have presented their faces is the problem. And that problem is from the TOP NRM ruler ship – M7, is not a trust worthy person for public business like Oil and any other that might come up, he is self-centered leader who wants the law against the citizen but for himself – He twisted the constitutions on the presidential term limits to suit his insatiable power wanting,
    Uganda Oil is another test he has past—he appoints the Minister and sucks, you will not be surprise now that the bills is pas…. that ministry will experience changes

    @Richard let’s stop being subjective and taking Uganda for the pipo who knows Government officials only to benefits from the government programs.
    Pipo are suffering because of poor governance and here you are talking, if anything are you a Ugandan? Do you know what is happening in the public offices what trust are you talking about , what legitimacy are you talking about ? Which vote did the government get? from who….. still it or rigging elections one after another!!!!!
    I thought this is not where you should bring your cheap pride from the rural background to tell us that trash
    This is not opposition rejecting the bills but the interest of the ordinary Ugandan, Oil issues shouldn’t be party issues, government or opposition but Ugandans u,,,……..Useless

  • Mugambagye

    You always dont publish my comments! So no comment.

  • Denis

    Samir you are wrong 1st and foremost why Kadaga preside over the bill when the President had already presided over the same by calling a caucas for the NRM Members who are the majority in the Perliament? Do you still remember what happened when the President used the same method to summon the NRM members and bribed them during Term limit Debate?

  • Reuben BT

    What is betraying Uganda is not Museven. From the numbers, i see we have 188 ( 149 for and 39 against Bill) mps voted and 198 didnt vote giving a total of 386 mps in 9th parliament. I imagine we have about 98 to 100 opposition mps.

    If all the oposition were in one accord and present on that day and voted against the corruption, we would have taken the day i.e the bill would not have passed. That day where many I belive coward NRM mps absented themeselves for fear to be positively counted, was a day for OPPOSITION and sound NRM to take. They missed it. But this means what we have as opposition is not really so. Out of 188 who voted, if Opposition had mobilised themesleves man you can imagine.

    So the problem is not Museven but our sons and daughters who are not serious in that Parliament. For sure Museven has not forced this bill on us.

    The same scenario happened during the lifting of term limits. Our bright sons and daughters sold this nation.

    Friends lets be serious with people we send to this parliament whether opposition or NRM.

  • Kizza

    This wasnt a supprise to the citizen of Uganda, Oluanya has been m7s puppet.
    Kadaga is also frustrated with the current stuation like all of us. She is a very intelligent citizen with high level of integrity and she can’t allow such mess to cought her off guard. she knew however much she struggles she alone couldnt change the mindset of million puppets.
    She is the best canditate for 2016, please lets vote her in office if we want a Uganda free of corruption

  • Japman

    The parliament should just be dissolved,since it’s not serving its purpose.

  • Oketch R.

    It’s a pity how the Hon. Deputy Speaker has given his life for all the dirty work in Parliament. History will judge him like has always done and he should be prepared for rejection by the very people he’s attempting to please today. It’s a pity he can’t learn from those who have been dumped including in the resent past.

  • http://www.redpepper.co.ug kambagira

    oh my Uganda! i sometimes learn to pitty you coz i love u so much, but for how long shall stay in this situation? can u imagine our national gold (oil) to be put in hands ov amear minister, naye Museveni dint u get satisfied when u used da then minister ov finance Syda Bbumba? u always passed by to pick something, again the Minister to control our oil? hahahha,war unto ugandans, i condemn the action taken by The Deputy speaker to surrender our national wealth to minister, Oualanya dint u see wat hpnd to the then vice president prof Bukenya?,why do you guys accept to be used? hehehe lets watch the riddance

  • aka

    Oulannya should be happy big things are awaiting his family now that the oil is secured as his pipo from the northern connection continue to live in very harsh conditions …

  • youngman

    @ Kizza this is not where to campaign for Kadaga if any thing she worse compared to ulanyah
    for his just a deputy who gets guideline from kadaga, who knows it possible that Kadaga told to him to do that as his boss. she is the Boss in that office and she is the one letting Ugandan down