Why is the Ninth Parliament Obsessed with policing morals?

The Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Rose Akol, recently directed the Uganda Police Force to investigate and clump down on bars and brothels showcasing nude dancing and promoting immoral acts around the country. The directive followed complaints raised by Members of Parliament during a sitting of Parliament chaired by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Friday 08th January 2016.

“After midnight, people including school going children pay a fee of Ugx 1000/- to watch women performing erotic and nude dancing in bars around the capital city and the country,” Hon. Odonga Otto said.

“We are worried that our children who visit these places are going to be recruited into homosexuality,” added MP Ssebagala

Conversations on policing morals in the 9th Parliament are something that immensely excite MPs, we have laws like the Anti pornography Act, the recent nullified Anti homosexuality Act, which the Speaker of Parliament referred to as a Christmas present while parliament approved the law.

Uganda as a country has more pressing problems than moral policing, we have issues like unemployment, there hasn’t been any legislation on either unemployment or under employment that Parliament has put in place to curb this. But with conversations on how women dress, or the fact that many youths are gambling as a source of employment, the house is quick to enact laws or even reacts by asking the police to intervene.

I long for a day, where debates on unemployment somehow tantamount to a legislation like all morals like “indecent dressing” or sexuality.