Uganda, March 26 -- Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi has defended his absence as the Parliamentary Appointments' Committee vetted and approved six new appointed ministers, saying that "the committee serves the interests of President Museveni."

"My office has a number of engagements like [on Monday morning] I had to attend to people whose property got burnt in Nakawa market. Sometimes, we weigh our priorities, because even when I go for that appointments committee and object, they will still pass these people," Ssenyonyi said.

"I have attended the same committee before and objected to some names but the majority have it at the end of the day, basically because the committee became Museveni's interest rubber stamp,"...