Some Opposition Legislators have defied caution by the Leader of Opposition Hon Joel Ssenyonyi not to attend the Regional Parliamentary Sittings due to the financial strain they will impose on taxpayers. Parliament has scheduled Regional Sittings in four different regions of Uganda and the first sitting will be for Northern region in Gulu City from August 28th to August 30th.

In Eastern, the sitting will be in Mbale City, for Central region, the sitting will be in Masaka City and for Western region, the sitting we will be taken to Mbarara City. The leader of Opposition, Hon Ssenyonyi had cautioned MPs especially Opposition MPs not to appear in these regional sittings citing wastage of taxi payers’ money amounting to Shs. 20b that will be use in preparations for these sittings.

Some of the Opposition MPs,Abed Bwanika (Kimaanya-Kabonero MP of NUP), Naboth Namanya (Rubabo County MP of FDC), Paul Asaba (Kyaka North) have defied the caution of Ssenyonyi. According to Hon Bwanika, he argued that the National Unity Platform should have used this opportunity to seek for support from the Northern region, a region that never supported the Party during the 2021 general elections, instead of opposing the activity just because it is being spearheaded by Speaker Anita Among.

On his part, Hon Naboth who is opposing these regional sittings saying they will be wastage of taxpayers' money, he said that if the Opposition wanted to stop the regional parliamentary sittings, they should have protested the budgetary allocations, but since they were overpowered by the numerical strength by their counterparts in NRM, he decided to go as decision taken in the regional Parliaments are likely to affect his people in Rubabo-Rukungiri district.

Hon Asaba said the Shs.20Bn cited by Leader of Opposition, Ssenyonyi as expenditure for the regional sittings is forged however, he declined to reveal that actual amount that Parliament will have to spend on these sittings.