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By Godfrey Kiyingi/KMA Updates.

Mpuuga working on reforms to reduce parliament size, enable smooth transition

Former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Hon Mathias Mpuuga has unveiled details of a big undertaking he has been working on over the last weeks.

Addressing journalists at Parliament, Mpuuga emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the constitution, focusing on parliamentary and electoral reforms.

Mpuuga, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nyendo Mukungwe Constituency in Masaka, revealed that he has received numerous proposals from citizens since his thanksgiving ceremony, suggesting the establishment of a bicameral parliament consisting of a lower parliament and an upper senate.

The lower parliament would represent the majority, while the senate would comprise a smaller number of representatives, approximately 39 MPs.

Additionally, Mpuuga advocates for a proportional representation system in parliament, where the number of representatives would be determined by the population size of each demographic group.

He emphasized that the youth, being the majority, should have more representatives in parliament.

Mpuuga also called for the removal of army representatives’ seats in parliament.

This move is seen as a significant attempt to reform Uganda’s political landscape.

This task, he said, was the centre of the numerous consultative meetings with political leaders and other stakeholders recently.

“We need wide-ranging constitutional and electoral reforms,” he said.

“That is why I have been meeting all these stakeholders. I have spoken to colleagues in parliament; those in the NRM, and independents and we are gearing up to a forum of MPs, and civil society to engender a wide-ranging debate on constitutional and electoral reforms.”

The Nyendo-Mukungwe legislator says one of the aims of the reforms is to change the look of Uganda’s parliament.

He says there have been more voices coming out about the need to reduce the parliament’s size as it is deemed too big.

“Even when I was still LOP I talked about these reforms including those to reduce the size of parliament to rhyme with the size of the economy and ensure that we have a sizeable purposeful parliament,” Mpuuga said.

“I am going to be leading an onslaught in parliament. I have spoken to other party platforms so we can join hands.”

Other reforms Mpuuga is proposing include changing the method of election of parliament. This he says will ensure that youths who make up the majority of Ugandans have dozens of seats in the house.

He also seeks amendments to the composition of the Electoral Commission, as well as legislation on the transition of power.

Meanwhile, the former LOP spared time to attack his successor, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi accusing him of abandoning the fight that he (Mpuuga) started to secure the release of the NUP supporters who still languish in prisons, nearly four years after the last election.

Mpuuga told the press that he recently wrote to House Speaker Anita Among about this matter, after noticing that the opposition leaders were no longer concerned.

“My assumption was that this was to be handled by my successors but they seem to be sleeping,” he said.

“Parliament deliberated about these people and decisions were taken but there was no follow-up.”