Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, has called upon the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, to refer General Katumba Wamala to the Rules, Privileges, and Discipline Committee for his involvement in a past altercation with Francis Zaake during a heated 2017 debate on the age limit bill.
Ssemujju's request comes as part of ongoing discussions surrounding derogatory remarks made by Zaake, who is currently under investigation. Ssemujju argued that if Zaake's comments are being scrutinized, then the individual who previously attempted to physically harm him should also face an investigation.
"If we are addressing issues of causing harm to one another, we have a General here who nearly killed Zaake. So, as we take action against Zaake for whatever he may have said, we should also take action against the one who was assaulting him and is still present among us," Ssemujju asserted.
The 2017 incident involved MPs attempting to physically harm Zaake during a debate, accusing him of making defamatory remarks against another MP. Opposition MPs stepped in to protect Zaake from the assault, and he was escorted out by the Sergeant at Arms and some fellow opposition MPs.
In response to the recent derogatory remarks by Zaake, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa referred the matter to Parliament's Rules, Privileges, and Discipline Committee for investigation.
However, tensions flared in the House on Thursday when the MP who claimed to be defamed insisted that the video evidence be played on the floor. This marked the third instance where Francis Zaake faced disciplinary action, with previous incidents involving social media attacks against the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.
The 2017 altercation resulted in injuries for Zaake during a parliamentary brawl as opposition lawmakers protested the controversial age limit motion. In video footage from the incident, Zaake was seen throwing chairs at rival MPs, and Gen. Katumba Wamala confronted him, leading to a physical altercation. Despite Zaake's claims of assault, Gen. Katumba denied any wrongdoing.
