Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake has been kicked off the Parliamentary Commission following a Thursday vote that did not go in his favour.
A report tabled in the house confirmed that Zaake made statements that brought parliament into disrepute, in breach of the rule on public trust and confidence under the Code of Conduct of MPs.
In its report, the Rules, Privileges and Discipline Committee of Parliament which was set up to investigate the matter said that the legislator posted abusive tweets targeting the deputy Speaker Anita Among, as an individual and as a presiding officer.
Bardege-Layibi Division MP, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi raised the matter in the house over a month ago and moved a motion for Zaake’s removal from the parliamentary commission.
In his post, made on February 9, Zaake, a member of the opposition National Unity Platform said among was a dishonest person who lacked "intelligential prowess."
“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, I won a medal in East African Parliamentary Games,” Zaake tweeted.
The Mityana legislator also blamed Deputy Speaker Among for failing in her duty towards legislators and the country at large.
“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 calibre lacks intelligent prowess to appreciate that healing is a natural phenomenon,” he wrote.
The tweets were in response to Among’s comment about Zaake’s recovery, which earned parliament gold at the East African Parliamentary Games, despite claims that he had been tortured while in state custody.
She made the remarks during a debate on Tuesday 8, February, during debate on a statement tabled by the Acting Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Muruli Mukasa.
But a week later, Mapenduzi said that he intended to move a motion to have Zaake is relieved of his duties as a commissioner for denigrating the integrity of Parliament and Office of the Speaker
"...last week, the nation woke up to a rant by a Member of this House, a Commissioner of Parliament, the honourable Zaake Francis through his known social media handles where he insulted the integrity of this House and above all, the integrity of the Office of the Speaker,” Mapenduzi said in relation to a tweet on Zaake's social media handle.
He noted that Zaake's outburst was in breach of the code of conduct for a Member of Parliament particularly a requirement to conduct themselves in a manner, which will maintain and strengthen the public trust and confidence in the integrity of Parliament.
