Regional sittings: DP advises Parliament, questions cost

The Democratic Party (DP) has expressed support for the recent decision by Parliament to conduct regional sittings, starting with Northern Uganda. However, the party has raised concerns about the alleged exorbitant expenditures associated with the process.

According to DP’s acting spokesperson, Ismael Kirya, spending Shs5 billion per sitting is excessive and will not effectively address the needs of the people in the regions. He argued that organizing policy barazas, where MPs can directly engage with community leaders, would be a more efficient and cost-effective way to gather input and address local concerns.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Kirya suggested that by conducting regional sittings across the country, MPs could compile citizen memoranda, highlighting key issues that can be addressed through targeted policies.

While the DP supports the boycott of the regional sittings due to the excessive spending, the party has criticized the Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, for not considering the views of other party whips, suggesting that “We are calling upon the current Leader of Opposition, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi to kindly try to copy the former Leaders of Opposition because we had some similar scenarios.”

Written by Prossy Kisakye