Members of Parliament have started receiving Ipads that will help the legislators attend virtual plenary and committee sittings. To the Legislators, the new Ipads will also help in carrying out timely research on to improve the quality of debate in the House.
Last week, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among announced that Parliament had procured news Ipads for all the 529 legislators and the 20 ex-officials in the House.
Legislators have started receiving the Ipdas after the ICT department at Parliament installed the required software in them. Legislators are also guided on using ipads by IT experts.
After amending the rules of procedure, the received Ipads will help legislators in attending virtual plenary and committee sittings.
Workers MP, Agnes Kunihira says the Ipads will be very important in facilitating legislators debates.
“I am sure it will facilitate our debates whether we are present or away. sometimes members of parliament are in the constituency and sometimes delegated.”
To the MPs, the iPads will also help them carry out research on time for an informed debate on the floor in addition to helping the House minimize on the avenues of spreading the deadly Covid 19 disease amongst the legislators.
“Already we have internet and data which is already paid for by the parliament on our ipads, you can research for anything using your iPad,” Kunihira added.
Some of the beneficiaries also warned their colleagues against misusing the new Ipads away from the intended objectives.
Nakawa East MP, Ronald Balimwezo said; “I am quite aware that there are those that may misuse these aipads particularly for their gains, like games and videos, these ipads are for the government of Uganda and they must be used in a manner that each ugandan benefits form them.”
The idea of legislators receiving ipads started in the 9th Parliament as a way of helping Parliament cut the cost of spending on stationary. According to sources at Parliament, almost sh2 billion was spent on procuring the new Ipads for all the Legislators.
