By The Erute South Member of Parliament, Jonathan Odur, has questioned the legitimacy of Mathias Mpuuga as the designated Opposition Commissioner on the Parliamentary Commission, following his defection from the National Unity Platform (NUP) to the newly formed Democratic Front (DF).
Odur raised the matter during the October 29, 2025 plenary sitting, arguing that Mpuuga’s shift to another party automatically creates a vacancy on the Commission, as stipulated under the Administration of Parliament Act.
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“The law is clear that once a member designated from the Opposition changes political party, a vacancy automatically occurs,” Odur stated, adding that the Opposition currently has no clear representation on the Commission since the Leader of Opposition (LOP), Joel Ssenyonyi, has reportedly been barred from attending its meetings.
However, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa dismissed claims that Ssenyonyi was being locked out, insisting that he remains a member of the Commission and attends when available.
“The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the Parliamentary Commission and whenever he wants to attend meetings, he does. Mathias Mpuuga is still the Opposition Commissioner, and there is no known vacancy,” Tayebwa clarified.
In response to Odur’s legal concerns, Tayebwa downplayed the implication of Mpuuga’s switch from NUP to DF, saying, “Has he joined NRM? Because any party that isn’t NRM is still considered opposition.”
Odur, who is also the acting Leader of Opposition, urged the Speaker to seek legal clarity to ensure the House operates within the confines of the law. “This is a House of record, and we need to move in the right direction guided by the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting, Odur also demanded transparency from Parliament regarding the ban on Nation Media Group journalists, who were recently blocked from covering parliamentary proceedings.
He argued that Parliament administrators act on behalf of all MPs, and therefore, members deserve a full explanation of the ongoing “investigations” cited as the reason for the ban.
“So that we aren’t kept in the dark investigating what exactly? The country deserves to know,” Odur demanded.
In his response, Tayebwa confirmed that the journalists were blocked to allow for “smooth investigations” whose details remain confidential.
“There is an active investigation going on, and Parliament is only complying with it. Once complete, Parliament will reach out to the affected media house,” Tayebwa said.
