The Speaker of Parliament, Anitah Among, has dismissed the appointment of Francis Zaake as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Opposition, saying that such a position does not exist in the parliamentary rules.
Zaake, who is also the Shadow Minister of Presidency and Security, was named as the Deputy Chief Whip by John Baptist Nambeshe, the Chief Opposition Whip, on Tuesday.
However, Speaker Among objected to the move, saying that the Rules of Procedure of Parliament only recognize the Chief Whip and not the Deputy.
“We don’t have that position (Deputy Chief Whip) in our Rules of Procedure. We don’t have it; withdraw it. We have a whip who is your good self; we don’t have a deputy in our Rules of Procedure. That is air; if someone has been given air, that is air,” she said.
Speaker’s decision followed an attempt by John Baptist Nambeshe, who represents Manjiya County in Bududa, and the Chief Whip of the opposition in the 11th Ugandan Parliament to designate Zaake in two positions: Shadow Minister of Presidency and Security as well as Deputy Chief Whip.
However, he later withdrew the appointment, saying that he would respect the Speaker’s ruling and consult with his colleagues on the way forward.