MPs should not double as ministers

In Uganda most of the cabinet ministers also double as MPs, something that we have generally accepted as normal. But looking at it from an angle of effective service delivery, this kind of arrangement needs to be dumped.

For instance, how do you expect an Attorney General, who is supposed to be the government’s chief legal counsel, to articulate grievances of his people who accuse the same government of grabbing their land? Even without such contradictions, ministers tend to be very preoccupied with government work and rarely get time to attend to the problems of the people who voted for them. I personally last saw my area MP during campaigns and ever since she was appointed a minister, she has become a rare sight. Her agents keep telling us that the ministerial job has kept her busy but we elected her to represent our views.

I know very many people get excited when their MP(s) are appointed to cabinet and hardly ever wonder how then these people would deliver on their campaign promises. I think the Constitution is amended to clearly state that “someone can only be appointed to cabinet if he/she is not an MP” or that “if that person is MP, he/she resigns his/her seat.” This will be the only way through which we shall improve service delivery in the country.

Michael Aboneka

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