“Everyone is struggling to combat pandemic, Parliament is making a killing”- Besigye on shs10bn
Four time presidential candidate and opposition strongman, Dr.Kizza Besigye has blasted Parliament’s move to share shs10 billion among Members of Parliament to fight the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
While appropriating money in the shs304 billion supplementary budget to different sectors involved in the fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Shs10 billion was allocated to Parliament, raising questions in the public.
Keep Reading
Last week, the supplementary budget was passed and this meant that each MP is supposed to get shs20 million.
Speaking to NBS Televisions on Thursday, the opposition strongman and qualified doctor said it is appalling that instead of contributing something to the fight by giving back, Parliament is only taking away.
“This is a very huge scandal that parliament should reconsider giving themselves that kind of money. The crisis we are involved in is one where everyone is making huge sacrifices, many people already find it very difficult to survive and yet there is not much available,”Besigye said.
“MPs are some of the most highly paid people in Uganda, they should instead be contributing something to the task force.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga on Wednesday defended the money saying that part of the shs10 billion will be used to maintain the ambulances contributed by Parliament and individual MPs, provide fuel and pay allowances for the drivers of the ambulances already released by MPs to help the Covid-19 taskforces at district level.
Besigye however noted that it is greed for Parliament to take a staggering shs10 billion yet some of the critical areas in managing the current crisis are being underfunded.
The opposition kingpin cited testing of Ugandans to know the prevalence and spread of the deadly Coronavirus which he said has only been funded to a tune of shs2.5 billion.
“There are no allowances for health workers. There is no protective gear for health workers and money for testing is not enough but you are giving MPs shs10 billion! We should have put that money where it is required.”
Commenting on the decision by the speaker of parliament to stop MPs from commenting on the money, the FDC stalwart said it points to guilt.
“Even to consider giving money to themselves for whatever reason themselves is a huge scandal. I think it is why speaker doesn’t want to talk about it because they are giving ridiculous reasons. The best way to get out of it is withdrawing out of it.”
Besigye added, “There is absolutely no justification for this money. It is a scandal and the quicker they get out of it, the better.”
