Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday, passed the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill , 2021 at the third reading into an Act and it awaits assent of the president.
The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill 2021 is seeks to repeal the Institute of Parliamentary Studies Act, 2020.
Tuesday’s decision by MPs means, the Institute of Parliamentary Studies Act 2020, will be repealed, reversing the Institute’s autonomy and absorbing its staff back to the Parliamentary Service.
It also makes the Deputy Speaker, a full member of the Parliamentary Commission.
If President Yoweri Museveni assents to the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill 2021 passed by Parliament, the ‘Rebecca Kadaga Institute of Parliamentary Studies (RAKIPS) will be renamed as the Institute of Parliamentary Studies (IPS), with mandate to train Members and Staff.
The Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga Institute of Parliamentary Studies first started in 2012 as a department in Parliament under the name, Institute of Parliamentary Studies.
In 2020, the Institute was established by an Act of Parliament as a semi-autonomous body with the objective of conducting courses for the exposition and enhancement of the knowledge, skills and experience of members and staff of the Parliamentary Commission and other legislatures, including local government councils.