PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

No Rule Proposed Amendment Justification

1). 2. Interpretation Insert the following new
words:
To accommodate
“Broadcast” includes online transmission
transmission of the and adapt to
proceedings of the House by new/social media
radio, television or web cast. transmissions

“Leader of Government For more clarity

Business” means the
person who is the leader in
Parliament of the largest
political party or coalition of
parties

“Leader of Opposition” For more clarity

means the person who is the
leader in Parliament, of the
most numerically dominant
party or coalition of political
parties in opposition.

“Order Paper” means the

paper showing the business For more clarity
to be placed before or taken
by the House on a particular
day, published and circulated
by the Clerk under rule 25
2). Insert a new rule The Mace For emphasis
3 The Mace of the House
embodies the authority of the
Speaker and the House and
shall be kept in safe custody
by the Serjeant-at-Arms

3). 3. Oath of a Insert a new sub rule (5) To plug an existing

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 Member 5) When the Clerk is procedural vacuum
administering the oath or in the event that a
affirmation of office to question arises
Members and before the during swearing in
Clerk has administered the of Members prior to
oath of affirmation of the the ascendance of
Office of the Speaker, any the Speaker to office.
question arising in the House
shall be determined by the
Clerk, who shall during that
period, exercise the powers
of the Speaker.
4). 5. Election of Insert a new sub rule (1)
Speaker A Speaker shall be elected To lend effect to
when the House first meets Article 82 (4) of the
after a General Election and Constitution
before the House proceeds
with the dispatch of any
other business, except the
administration of the oath or
affirmation of office to
Members present.

Extract Sub rule (3) and

make it a stand alone rule
immediately after rule 5 with
the head note “Vacancy in
the office of the Speaker”
5). New Rule Vacancy in the Office of the
immediately Speaker To operationalize
after Rule 5 Article 82 (7) of the
1). If the office of Speaker Constitution
falls vacant at any time
before the expiry of the
term of Parliament, the
House shall not transact
any business until the
election of a new
Speaker.
2). The Deputy Speaker shall

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 preside over the election
under paragraph (2) but if
the Deputy Speaker is a
candidate; the House shall
elect a Member to preside
over the election of a new
Speaker.
6). New Part III: Resignation To operationalize
VACATION OF relevant provisions
OFFICE OF 1). A Speaker or Deputy of Article 82 (7) of
SPEAKER Speaker who intends to the Constitution
AND DEPUTY resign from office shall
SPEAKER submit a letter of
resignation addressed to
the House.
2). Upon receipt of a letter of
resignation, the Clerk
shall, without delay—
a) in the case of
resignation by the
Speaker, inform the
Deputy Speaker; or
b) in the case of
resignation by the
Deputy Speaker,
inform the Speaker.
c) The House shall be
notified of a
resignation under this
Rule within seven
days.

Removal from Office

1). A Member, supported by

at least one-third of all the
members, may move a
Motion for the removal of
the Speaker or Deputy
Speaker for—

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 a) serious violation of a
provision of the
Constitution or of any
other law;
b) gross misconduct,
whether in the
performance of the
Speaker’s or Deputy
Speaker’s functions or
otherwise;
c) physical or mental
incapacity to perform
the functions of office;
d) incompetence; or
e) bankruptcy.

2). Before giving Notice of

the Motion under
paragraph (1), the
Member shall deliver to
the Clerk a copy of the
proposed Motion in
writing—
a) stating the grounds
and particulars upon
which the proposed
Motion is made;
b) signed by the Member;
c) signed in support by at
least one-third of all
the Members of
Parliament.

3). Upon receipt of the

motion by the Clerk, a
Member shall not
withdraw a signature
appended to it.
4). A Member shall give
three days’ notice of the

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 motion under paragraph
(1) within three days of
the approval of the
motion.
5). The Clerk shall set out on
the Order Paper on which
the Motion is listed—

a) the grounds and

particulars upon which
the proposed Motion is
made;
b) the name of the
Member sponsoring
the Motion; and
c) the names of the
Members in support of
the Motion.

6). If the Motion is passed—

a) the House shall

appoint a select
committee comprising
eleven of its Members
to investigate the
matter; and
b) the committee shall,
within seven days,
investigate and report
to the House whether
it finds the allegations
against the Speaker or
Deputy Speaker to be
substantiated.

7). The Speaker or Deputy

Speaker has the right to
appear and be represented
before the select

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 committee during its
investigations.
8). If the select committee
reports that it finds the
allegations—

a) unsubstantiated, no
further proceedings
shall be taken; or
b) substantiated, the
House shall—

i) furnish the Speaker or

Deputy Speaker with
the report of the select
Committee, together
with any other
evidence adduced and
such notes or papers
presented to the
committee at least
three days before the
day scheduled for his
or her appearance
before the House;
ii) afford the Speaker or
Deputy Speaker an
opportunity to be
heard;
iii) consider the Report of
the select committee;
and
iv) vote whether to
approve the resolution
requiring the removal
from office of the
Speaker or Deputy
Speaker.

9). If a resolution requiring

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 the removal from office
of a Speaker or Deputy
Speaker is supported by
at least two-thirds of the
Members of Parliament,
the Speaker or Deputy
Speaker shall cease to
hold office.
7). 8. Procedure in Redraft sub rule (1) as For clarity
case not follows:
provided for and 1). In case of any doubt and
precedents for any procedural
question not expressly
provided for by these
rules, the Speaker shall
decide, having regard to
the practices of the
House, the Constitution
of the Republic of
Uganda, precedents,
customs, traditions and
practices of the
Parliament of Uganda and
other jurisdictions in so
far as they may be
applicable to Uganda.
8). 11: Redraft sub rule (3) as For gender equity.
Parliamentary follows The current
Commissioners provision
3) Not more than three of erroneously
the Members referred to presupposes that the
in Sub rule (1) (f) shall be gender odds will be
of the same gender. perpetually staked
against women only,
oblivious to the
gains the country has
made on the gender
front.
9). 23: Sittings of Amend the head note by For greater
the House to be inserting the words “and transparency in

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 public Committees” immediately pursuit of
after the word “House” so it Parliament’s vision
reads “Sittings of the House of being a
and Committees to be transparent, people
public” centered legislature.

It will also pave way

for the opening up of
the sittings of the
Insert the following new Sub appointments
Rule immediately after (2) committee to the
“In the case of a Committee, public.
the Chairperson may, with
the approval of two thirds of
Members present order the
Committee to move into a
closed Sitting.

Amend Sub rule (3) by

inserting the words “or
committee” immediately
after the word “House” and
the words “or the meeting
venue” after the word
“galleries” at the end of the
sub rule.

10). New rule Messages from the President To provide for a

immediately i) The Speaker shall read to mechanism for
after rule 224 the House and message handling messages
from the President from the President.
delivered to the Speaker The current rules
for communication to the only cater for
House. messages with
ii) If a message is received regard to returned
from the President, at a bills by H.E the
time when the House is president.
not in session, the There is need to

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 Speaker shall forthwith cater for incidences
cause the message to be where the president
transmitted to every may communicate
Member and shall report on other relevant
the message to the House matters too.
on the day the House next
sits.
iii) When a message from the
President is read, the
message shall be deemed
to have been laid before
the House and the
Speaker may;
a) Direct that the
message be dealt
with forthwith,
b) Appoint a day for the
consideration of the
message,
c) Refer the message to
the relevant
committee of the
House for
consideration.
11). 142: Bills Amend sub rule (3) by Grammatical
returned by the substituting the word “to” realignment
President with “on”
12). 145: Policy Amend sub rule (2) by To conform to the
Statements inserting a new paragraph (l) Command of Section
as follows; 43 of the Access to
Information Act.
Listing of requests for
Access to Information made
by the public during the
previous year indicating
whether or not access was
granted and the reasons for
denial in respect of Section
43 of the Access to
Information Act.

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13). 153: Delete sub rule (2) To cure redundancy
Committees of
Parliament
14). 154: Standing Amend sub rule (2) by To exclude the
Committees and inserting the words “Leader Leader of Opposition
Sectoral of Opposition” immediately from being a
Committees after “Prime Minister” in the Member of a
first line and after “Minister” Committee since the
on the third last line. LOP has shadow
Ministers and other
opposition Members
on Committees.

Redraft paragraph (2) of Sub

rule (2) as follows:
The Speaker shall ensure that
not more than 60% of the
leadership of Committees are
of the same gender.
15). 155: Standing Amend paragraph (g) of sub To expand the scope
Committees rule (1) to read “the of the Committee to
Committee on Equality and accommodate
Inclusivity” inclusivity

Amend paragraph (f) be

deleting the words “from
time to time”

16). 157: Amend sub rule (7) to Rights watch is an

Representation include the Committee on accountability
on Standing Human Rights function.
Committees
17). 162: Meetings Delete sub rule (2) For greater
of the transparency

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 Committee on
Appointments
18). 176: Functions Insert a new sub rule (8)
of the
Government “The Committee shall report
Assurance and to the House atleast twice a
Implementation year.
Committee

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