By Francis Otucu

Members of Parliament have given thanks to God for Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s life. While moving a motion to to consider having a Panel of Speakers to assist the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in presiding over the House, David Abala of Ngora County said quoting Luke l7:15 that “We need to give thanks. At an appropriate time we should hold a thanksgiving prayer to give thanks for restoring the health of the Speaker.”

Cecilia Ogwal said that everything happens for a reason and the whole House was concerned about the Speaker’s wellbeing.

“In all circumstances, we need to thank the Lord. We need to have additional people (Speakers Panel) to reduce the workload of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, especially in the House. We need to balance work and health; when we lose our health then the work cannot be done,” she said, before reading from Psalms 124: 6-8.

Thomas Tayebwa (Ruhinda North), said that it is only the privileged who can help those who are not fortunate enough.

“The beauty is that the privileged help the less privileged. A story is told about monkeys that celebrated at the farmers’ death only to realise after a year that it was the hand that fed them. So all those who rejoiced on social media will realise that you impacted them at one time,” he said.

Jacqueline Amongin (Ngora District), proposed an amendment to the motion to permit for the renaming of the Institute of Parliamentary Studies in honour of the Speaker.

“You have played a great role in this country and continent. I have been around the world and there is a precedent that has been set. I would like to urge members so that we have a Rebecca Kadaga Institute of Parliamentary Studies,” she said.

The Speaker thanked the members for their concern and requested government to construct more specialised hospitals and distribute them evenly.  “It is very ironical because I fell ill after passing the money of the specialised hospital along Entebbe Road,” she said.

Kadaga said that during her time at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, she interacted with many Ugandan doctors who confessed to her that they had left Uganda for better pay.