Approval of new cities lies in balance

Parliament has for the third consecutive time failed to approve the government’s motion of alteration of boundaries and the declaration of 15 new cities in the country.

The failure was as a result of lack of quorum of legislators in the Thursday parliamentary sitting.

The deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah said passing such a motion has a constitutional obligation that requires 233 legislators voting in favor of such a motion.

The Thursday parliamentary sitting chaired by the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah saw the minister for Local Government Tom Butiime laying on table the remaining documents that had stalled the process of approving the 15 new cities in the country.

The documents that were presented by the minister are the resolutions of district council’s, records of technical people from the Ministry, the composition of divisions in the city and the certificate of financial implication.

However, the Minister says the area of demarcation of Divisions for the three proposed Cities of Moroto, Nakasongola and Wakiso will be tabled to the House on the 20th of April in 2020 after consultations have been done.

But to Busiro East legislator part of the documents from Wakiso tabled were fake.

The 15 proposed new cities are Arua, Gulu, Jinja,Mbarara, Masaka, Mbale, Hoima, Entebbe, Fort Portal, Kabale, Soroti, Nakasongola, Lira, Moroto and Soroti.

But to legislators from Kasese led by Mp William Nzoghu put up a spirited debate on why Kasese Municipality is not on the list of to be new cities yet it has all the required facilities to be elevated.

When the time for approving the new cities came, the Constitutional mandate of having the 233 legislators voting in favor of the motion would not be realised as the quorum was wanting.

This propelled the Deputy Speaker to adjourn the sitting for 15 minutes to allow the more legislators come in to do the voting.

After 15 minutes the number of legislators in the chambers reduced forcing the Speaker to defer the matter until when the quorum is realised.

 

 

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