By; Francis Lubega
The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has tasked Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo to explain the existence of unknown security personnel in chapels at Parliament.
Kadaga’s directive followed a fracas in parliament early today that saw a team of legislators evict security personnel from the chapels located in the basement of the east wing of parliament.
Members alleged that the security personnel had turned the house of God into a tunnel of illegal activity.
The Parliamentary Catholic Chaplain Fr. Phillip Balikudembe earlier condemned the action saying that much as it’s a parliamentary property they have the right to keep the area private because it was gazatted for the Catholic Parliamentary Community and not a security base.
Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo told parliament that it is not true that the Chapels were used as eating places and he had established that there were police officers eating but not inside the Chapels that of the Anglican and Catholics.
Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasimire accused the Minister of not being truthful and lying to parliament yet themselves as MPs had proved on site that the worship places had been occupied by police and plain clothed security personnel with empty bottles of water, cups, plates and food leftovers.
However, Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa asked the Speaker for more time so that the Internal Affairs Minister could investigate the matter.
However the speaker Kadaga directed the Clerk to provide a report following a heated debate over the matter immediately the house resumed at 2.30pm this afternoon.
Currently the members of parliament are still debating on the contentious age limit bill of amending article 102b of the constitution.
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