Legislators are raising concerns over what they describe as an intentional slowdown of government business in Parliament, accusing Cabinet of starving the House of work just months before the 2026 general elections.
The concerns follow nearly a month since Parliament was adjourned sine die, with the last major item handled being the approval of an 11 trillion-shilling loan package for budget implementation.
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda says the House is being deprived of its core constitutional responsibility because Cabinet is failing to submit business for debate and approval.
"The House is short of business impacted by the Cabinet which is not sitting," Ssemujju said.
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He argued that the Executive bears the primary duty of bringing business to Parliament and warned that delaying key matters will result in a "stampede" when the House resumes after elections.
Ssemujju cautioned that any substantive work brought post-election will be handled by a distracted legislature, with many members--especially those who lose their seats--more focused on securing alternative employment.
"After elections there will be a stampede," he said. "People are looking for their next job. Those who survived... there will never be seriousness. People are vulnerable. If it were possible, Parliament should have stopped before campaigns."
He also warned that the national budget process, which typically requires at least four months of committee scrutiny and debate, risks being rushed or compromised in an election year.
"There needs to be revision on how the budget is handled in an election year, with many scrambling for their next job after losing elections," he added.
However, Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi disagreed, arguing that the post-election period is well known and provides sufficient time to process the budget.
He said the current timeline has been used consistently and should not be a point of concern.
Ssemujju further cited a backlog of statutory obligations, particularly Parliament's responsibility to consider reports of the Auditor General.
"We only need to be dealing with reports of the Auditor General. The first draft must be presented by around 15th December," he said.
Both legislators stressed the need to complete the current Parliament's legislative agenda rather than transferring pending work to the next House.
Ssemujju urged the Speaker and her deputy to assert leadership.
"Speakers need to wake up and deal with the business. It shouldn't be transferring business to another," he said.
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