Parliament on Monday presided over by Duty Speaker Thomas Tayebwa censured State Minister for Housing, Persis Namuganza by a majority vote of 348 legislators out of the 356 present in the House.

However, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) says Parliament should not have taken that direction against the junior Minister who was found to have brought the House into disrepute.     

DP Secretary General Gerald Blacks Siranda says the matter could have been resiolved through dialogue.  He made the remarks while addressing the weekly DP Press conference.

On Monday morning, Parliament was packed to capacity, with MPs even occupying the front benches reserved for ministers, none of who was present. The matter at hand was the motion to censure state minister for Housing Persis Namuganza accused of improper conduct, violating the Parliamentary rules of procedure and bringing Parliament into disrepute.              

However, according to Gerald Blacks Siranda, the Secretary General of the opposition Democratic Party, dialogue would have prevailed over censure which appears to have been vindictive.

Siranda says the censure will traumatize the minister and affect her work execution as well as her relationship with Parliament where she also sits as the Bukono South MP.

However, Siranda was quick to caution Minister Namuganza on her behavior and confrontational approach.  

Siranda appealed to all Government officials to be mindful of their conduct while holding public offices and also cultivate a good working relationship with other public officers and institutions.

348 Members of Parliament voted in favor of the Namuganza motion out of 356 present in the House, 5 MPs voted against the motion and 3 abstained. Others simply stayed away, including all the ministers. 

In accordance with Article 118, Clause of the Constitution of Uganda, upon a vote of censure being passed against a minister, the President shall, unless a minister resigns his or her office, take appropriate action in the matter.