Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition (LOP), has shared his reflections on a turbulent first year in office, revealing the numerous challenges he faced while attempting to navigate a Parliament fraught with pettiness, systemic frustrations, and corruption.
Ssenyonyi has been vocal about what he perceives as the undermining of his oversight role by the leadership of Parliament. He recalled an incident where vehicles allocated for an oversight visit to inspect city roads were withdrawn by the leadership at the last minute, forcing his office to hire taxis to carry out the inspection. This level of petty obstruction, he said, extended to various aspects of his role as LOP, making it difficult to fulfill his responsibilities effectively.
A particularly troubling issue, according to Ssenyonyi, was his exclusion from numerous Parliamentary Commission meetings, despite his statutory membership. This exclusion, he suggested, was a deliberate attempt by the leadership to prevent him from questioning and scrutinizing financial dealings within Parliament. The exclusion reached a new height when Ssenyonyi was invited to attend a meeting on the budget, only to receive a backdated invitation letter the day before the meeting was scheduled. He believes this was a calculated move to ensure his absence from discussions that could have exposed unethical financial practices.
Ssenyonyi also spoke about the abrupt termination of contracts for his office staff upon assuming office, which left his office shorthanded for an extended period. Despite assurances that staff from other departments would be assigned to his office, the unique demands of his role remained unmet. These frustrations, he said, severely hampered his ability to work effectively and execute his duties as LOP.
Despite these setbacks, Ssenyonyi remains steadfast in his commitment to cleaning up Parliament. He has promised to intensify his efforts to address the integrity crisis that he believes is at the root of many of the institution’s problems. With renewed determination, he vowed to push for reforms aimed at curbing corruption and enhancing accountability among lawmakers.