MP Francis Zaake Removed as Backbench Commissioner

Member of Parliament on Thursday evening voted to remove Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake as a Parliamentary backbench commissioner. 

This comes after the report of the Committee on Rules, Privilege and Discipline pinned Zaake for misconduct and misbehavior contrary to the Parliamentary decorum.

The Committee chairperson Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) who presented the report said Zaake is guilty of using offensive and abusive language contrary to Rule 84 of the Rules of Procedure. 

Early last month, Zaake is said to have posted a disparaging post on social media where he insulted the Deputy Speaker Anita Among for what he termed as a mockery on his alleged torture. 

Zaake is said to have posted on Twitter as follows, "The fact that my body has severely encountered torture from security operatives, it is on record of Court that indeed, I was tortured. To my consternation, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, while presiding over a session of Parliament controverted the finding of High Court in Suit No. 85 of 2020 that I was tortured by
sarcastically stating but with the utmost level of recklessness that though tortured, l won a medal in East African Parliamentary Games."

He continued, "the utter bunkum emanating from her dishonest lips was only intended to mock and break me down, this is idiocy! Parliament deserves better, how a person of her caliber lacks intelligent prowess to appreciate that healing is a natural phenomenon. The Ioose cannon in her couldn't contemplate the duty that her office owes members and the country at large, disturbingly she ejaculated while presiding over a session to condemn torture, aah! How hypocritical, shame upon you!"

The Rules Committee that was assigned to investigate Zaake's behavior has observed that indeed the above words as used in the tweet" do bring the House and the Office of the Speaker into disrepute."

"They denigrate public trust and confidence in the integrity of Honourable Members and of the House. The Iaw demands of Members of Parliament to, at all times, behave in an honourable manner. Members of Parliament took oath to uphold all laws without fear or favour," Katuntu's report said. 

While presenting the report before Parliament, Katuntu said that Zaake, should have raised a substantive motion to
question the conduct and or remarks made by the Deputy Speaker.

"It is therefore, the Committee's view that the conduct of the Hon. Francis Zaake was not proper and amounted to misbehaviour and misconduct of a member of Parliament," Katuntu said. 

The Committee recommended that Zaake apologizes to the House and that the Parliamentary Commission should take steps to address Zaake's concern about his personal security. 

However, while debating the report, Rukiga County MP, Roland Ndyomugyenyi proposed an amendment to the main report that Zaake should leave the office of Commissioner of Parliament. 

The proposal and the main committee report were all adopted, thus allowing Ojara Mapenduzi, MP for Bardege-Layibi Division to move a substantive motion for removal of Zaake as commissioner. The motion was subjected to a secret vote by the House in accordance with Rule 98 (b) of the Rules of Procedure. 

155 MPs voted in favour of the motion [to remove Zaake] while 04 MPs voted in contrary, and 02 were invalid votes.

Deputy Speaker ruled that Zaake now ceases to be Commissioner and asked the Opposition to nominate another name to replace him. She added that Zaake will be required to make an apology to the House.