The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has launched a mobile application (App) that will enable the public to follow the plenary, committee proceedings and other activities of the House.
Kadaga said public input into the legislative processes in the House was still lacking.
“I am not yet satisfied with the public input into our legislation. I asked Parliament’s information communication technology (ICT) department to prepare this App.”
Kadaga launched the App dubbed ‘Uganda Bungeni’, a Kiswahili phrase meaning ‘Inside Parliament’ as part of the annual Parliament Week that allows the public to access parliamentary chambers, obtain necessary information and interact with MPs regarding the affairs of their constituencies.
Kadaga presided over the ecumenical prayer breakfast organized by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) as part of the activities to mark the fourth Parliamentary Week. The theme of this year’s Parliament Week God makes a channel of your Peace.
She said the App is aimed at enabling the public to access genuine information, including the status of Bills being debated in the House. Kadaga said the innovation will give Ugandans an opportunity to contribute to debates, submit topics and access parliamentary resources. The App will also be used by the public to give feedback on Bills before committees.
“We started with incorporating the Bill-tracking feature in the App but will soon include other features that will allow the public to find their MP, post petitions and use the App as a source of any parliamentary information,” Kadaga said.
She said the App will enable the legislators and public to track the progress of Bills and give feedback before they are passed into law.
“Uganda’s Parliament has done quite a lot in being open to the public with a live broadcast that has been done for more than 10 years, giving all Ugandans an opportunity to follow in real-time, what goes on in the House,” she said Parliament’s director for ICT, Fred Bbaale, said the App can be accessed free of charge.
He said the user will be able to access the Bills to be considered in the House and the petitions the public has sent to Parliament.