Parliament of Uganda

Debate on the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2014 hit a dead-end after Members of Parliament failed to distinguish the Pension Act they were amending. After being stuck at the bill’s committee stage, not knowing whether they were amending the pension Act 2007 or pension Act 2011, among other issues. The Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga,  deferred  the Parliamentary Pension scheme bill 2014  to Thursday to allow MPs scrutinize the old pension laws for harmonization as they debate the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2014.

MPs were anticipating the passing of the   Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2014, with a view that it would bail them out   from high lending interest rates by the main banks. Members of Parliament Atwib Katoto, Emmanuel Dombo and Keneth Lubogo said that the bill shall be relieving them from losing their properties to banks because of loans they fail to pay. However, the MP for Kawempe North Latif Sebagala said that MPs should be focused on the benefits they will get after leaving parliament and terms of recovery. Sebagala said that there should be safety measures for protecting this fund.

The woman MP for Sheema district Rosemary Nyakikongoro, said “I would rather have pension money than borrowing from banks” which she described as cheating them and the ‘foreign banks running away with all the money’.

MP for Samia Bugwe North, Julius Mganda, noted that the pension scheme should benefit the serving and former MPs in terms of dividends. Busiro East Member of Parliament Merdad Segona  said that the scheme will benefit the serving MPs through borrowing as well as getting  dividends from any other person who will have borrowed from  the Parliamentary Pension scheme.

The MPs said that they should be allowed to access their pension at the end of the term of parliament. MP for Mbarara municipality Merdad Bitekyerezo and woman MP for Ibanda district Margaret Kiboijana said that they were tired of being harassed by banks, hiding in parliament and toilets because of banks debts they fail to pay. Kiboijana noted that MPs should be allowed to access 65% of their pension at the age of 45 years so as to make investments in their businesses instead of them continuing to live in absolute poverty. The chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee and the Parliamentary commissioner Rose Akol advised MPs not to turn the pension scheme into a financial institution.

Parliamentary pension bill 2014 is seeking to make provisions for a contributory pension scheme for Members of Parliament and staff of Parliament, as well as establish a Parliamentary Pensions Fund for the payment or granting of pensions or retirement benefits to Members of Parliament and staff of Parliament.