Chaos erupted in Parliament on Wednesday as Kilak North MP Anthony Akol clashed with Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake.
This was during the House’s reconvening to debate the controversial National Coffee Amendment Bill 2024.The chaos started after Akol took over Zaake’s seat to make a point of order on the floor. When Zaake returned to take up his seat, he found Akol occupying it and tried to push him off.
In a video circulating on social media, Akol responded by punching Zaake several times until he fell to the floor.Earlier, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among evoked Rule 9 and declared a free sitting, given the huge number of MPs in the Chambers.
Following the chaos, Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among was seen hastily taken out of the chambers by her security detail.Now , Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, the brother of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, has attacked Francis Zaake verbally after a scuffle at Parliament where Zaake was beaten.
According to available information, Nyanzi accused Zaake of seeking attention and being a diversion in the Coffee Bill debate, suggesting that his actions were motivated by his aspiration to run for MP of Mityana Municipality again in 2026.
It’s worth noting that Zaake has been a vocal critic of the government’s handling of the coffee industry and has been at the forefront of the opposition to the Coffee Bill. This incident highlights the existing tensions within the opposition parties in Uganda.
Zaake’s history in politics has been marked by controversy, including being charged with treason in 2018 and being removed as a commissioner of parliament in March 2022 ¹.
However, he was reinstated as commissioner by the Constitutional Court in September 2023, after it was ruled that his removal was unconstitutional.