Chaos Erupts in Ugandan Parliament Over Coffee Bill, Zaake Hospitalized
MP Francis Zaake has been hospitalized after a physical altercation in the Ugandan Parliament, which erupted during a heated debate on the contentious Coffee Amendment Bill. Zaake alleged a gun was present, leading to a fistfight with MP Anthony Akol. The Speaker suspended the session as the incident occurred.
The Coffee Amendment Bill has been a topic of discussion for weeks, with the opposition and Buganda Caucus expressing their disapproval of the mainstreaming of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Government has maintained that the Bill aims to cut wasteful expenditure and realign service delivery.
During the session, Zaake claimed that there was a man with a gun in the house chambers, which is restricted for non-members, referred to as strangers. The Speaker then asked the Sergeant at Arms to subject the accused person to a security check, and it was ascertained that there was no gun. Unconvinced, Zaake went to conduct the search by himself, resulting in an altercation with Akol. The arguments between Zaake and Akol ensued into a physical fistfight, prompting the Speaker to suspend the session.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety and security of members of parliament and the need for respectful dialogue, even in the face of disagreement.
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Source of Story Chempreports
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