“I can’t be party to dirty money”- MP Mpuuga says as he returns share of the shs10bn Covid-19 cash

Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga has said he cannot be party to the shs10 billion shared among legislators to fight the deadly Coronavirus.

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, where each legislator is supposed to get shs20 million.

This has caused a public uproar against legislators who have since been labeled as being greedy.

The Civil Division of the High Court on Tuesday ordered the Parliamentary Commission and the Attorney General to ensure the shs20 million each is not sent to the MPs’ accounts and if sent, it should not be used.

On Thursday, Mpuuga said he had instructed his bank to use the Electronic Fund Transfer to return the shs20 million sent by parliament to his account.

“My people need relief from the money I voted in the supplementary not this( shs20 million). In any case, I have offered them relief worth and more than that,”Mpuuga said.

“I don’t want to handle money that has no framework to account for. The people of Masaka have got their share through other authentic means (not the shs20 million).”

The Masaka Municipality legislator said he can’t speak for his fellow legislators on the money but insisted he will not take it.

On Wednesday, the Clerk to Parliament, Jane Kibirige said MPs had already received the money on their accounts but noted that those who would wish to return it should send it electronically.

“It has come to the knowledge of the Parliamentary Commission that some Members of Parliament wish to return the shs20 million paid to them last Friday, April, 17, 2020,” Kibirige’s letter to all MPs read in part.

The shs10 billion appropriated to Parliament where each MP was supposed to get shs20 million has caused backlash against the legislators from members of the public.

President Museveni and his Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa on Monday blasted parliament over the money.

“The president said such money was not sustainable and not for the general good. He instead thought there was a way such money could be used to benefit everybody than place it in the hands of MPs,” a source that attended the Monday cabinet meeting but preferred anonymity told the Nile Post.

He was supported by Kutesa who said it was not fair to the population and rebuked those who wanted to be party to using the money.

“Why are you taking money of poor Ugandans,” he wondered.

The Speaker of Parliament has since defended the money given to legislators.