The Opposition in Parliament will debate from a better researched and informed point of view going forward, their leader pledged.

Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) and also Nyendo-Mukungwe Division MP, was speaking at a dinner he hosted for his Cabinet and the media at Protea Hotel Kampala.

“As the Opposition, we are trying to solve our weaknesses and superiority battles and I can promise you that next year will be different.

So, I am tasking my team to rise to the occasion and do a lot of research, there is going to be a lot of orientation in the Opposition to sharpen my people because a new face of Uganda must come with a new face of leaders,” he said.

Mpuuga appreciated the journalists and urged them to go beyond informing the public and turn into influencers who set the pace in shaping public opinion.

“I am exceedingly humbled to dine with you as a way of appreciating the good job you are doing. Media can make and break. Media has evolved; it is no longer a media of reporters and informers, the media is now an influencer of public interest,” Mpuuga said.

The LOP promised to continue having a cordial relationship with the media towards influencing and shaping public agenda and promoting the alternative policies. He urged the media to strike a balance in providing coverage to salient issues on the Floor of Parliament.

“To you, the Editors, there is a lot that we miss in plenary. Perhaps the media houses are stressed, but I want to invite you to find a way of balancing the critical presence of journalists from 4pm on wards because a lot of things take place after 5pm and debate is missed,” Mpuuga said.

The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association President, Moses Mulondo, appreciated the LOP for the gesture and requested him to use his position to lobby for journalists’ welfare.

The association brings together journalists and editors who are accredited to cover Parliament.