The Kilak North Member of Parliament (MP), Anthony Akol, has protested Speaker Annet Anita Among’s decision to suspend him for three consecutive sittings, saying he is the victim who was attacked by the Mityana municipality MP, Francis Zaake.
Akol made the remarks during an interview with the press in Kampala on November 8, 2024, where he said that he was not happy about the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to suspend him when he was attacked.
“I mean, it doesn’t make sense. If I was the one who attacked someone in the House, then I can be suspended for my misconduct in the House, but I didn’t attack anybody, and I am appealing this particular suspension; it doesn’t make sense,” Akol said.
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He promised that upon his return to Parliament, he intends to move a motion that will require the House to label where each MP is meant to sit, like it is done in other Parliaments, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.
Akol also emphasized the sitting arrangement of the MPs, adding that if the House isn’t enough, Parliament should also get appropriate space where there are even numbers so that it shows the number of members who are absent in the House for each sitting.
The Kilak North MP revealed that he has no plans of apologizing to Zaake because he is older than Zaake, and according to African tradition, it is wrong to displace an elder from a seat. Akol said that he instead expects an apology from Zaake, who is younger than him.
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Akol also welcomed the decision by Zaake to sue him over the scuffle and even showed off some messages he claimed to have received from voters in Mityana, thanking him for beating up Zaake. He said that this isn’t the first time people who try to take him to court have failed, citing an example of Odonga Otto who went to court, and the DPP said it was a scuffle.
Akol wondered how Zaake ended up being admitted at Nsambya Hospital, saying that after the brawl at Parliament, he left Zaake standing and jumping, wondering if some people took advantage of the scuffle to inflict harm on him.
During the parliamentary session on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, the August House turned into a boxing ring and tempers flared when MPs Zaake and Akol clashed over procedural issues, leading to a physical altercation and suspension of 12 MPs.
