Government is set to table Bills on merging agencies
By Fred Siminyu
Governments will this week table Bills aimed at providing for the rationalization of agencies under four sectors of the country.
The revelation was on Feb, 28 made by the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, during a plenary sitting that was held to table business that government intends to bring to Parliament for discussion.
She disclosed that the proposed Bills to be tabled will include among others, the Rationalization of Government Agencies (Education Sector) (Amendments) Bill, 2024 and the Rationalization of Government Agencies (Internal Affairs Sector) (Amendments) Bill, 2024.
She as well added that also to be tabled will be the Rationalisation of Government Agencies (Natural Resources and Environment Sector) (Amendments) Bill, 2024 as well as the Rationalisation of Government Agencies (Works and Transport Sector) (Amendments) Bill, 2024.
Five other Bills on the list include the National Tribunal Bill, 2023, the Uganda Health Professional Regulatory Council Bill, 2023, the Arbitration and Reconciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Karamoja Development Agency (Repeal) Bill, 2024 and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The Minister for Internal Affairs will also present a statement in the House updating the country on the process and guidelines on the renewal of national identification cards as requested by Parliament.
The Bills have come at a time when the government has in past been put on the spot by legislators over what they termed as piecemeal amendments to the Constitution in a bid to merge some government agencies.
Particularly in November 2023, Members of Parliament challenged the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2023 that entailed provisions to merge the Equal Opportunities Commission with the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
During plenary at the time, the Minister for Public Service, Hon. Wilson Muruli Mukasa, had committed to engage respective Parliament Committees on the agencies being rationalized, so as to present a concrete position to the House.
Relatedly, Nabbanja has also listed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2023 among the business to be brought before Parliament in the succeeding week.
