NUP directs its MPs who secretly received Shs 40 million from Parliament to return the money

The National Unity Platform(NUP) has directed its MPs to return the Shs 40 million which was advanced to them by Parliament for unknown reasons.

This follows reports that MPs had received Shs 40 million each ostensibly to cushion them during these tough economic times.

Upon receiving this money, many of these MPs went quiet about the matter until yesterday when a section of opposition MPs started returning the funds that they had received.

Several MPs belonging to NUP are said to have reached out to the party leadership asking for guidance  on this money.

In a statement seen by The Nile Post, the party said upon receiving this information, it had to immediately set out a team to establish the truth.

"It turned out that NRM members were receiving this money in cash from Parliament, while opposition and independent MPs were receiving it from the home of Anita Among, the speaker of Parliament," NUP alleged in a statement.

Some MPs were being told that the money was a token of appreciation, while others were told the money was meant to supplement their income in the tough economic situation in the country.

NUP said it should have been obvious to everyone that the money was both illegal and immoral, given that it was being given out in cash without any clear explanation about its source and purpose.

"Some Members were being told to go with boda-bodas or cars not belonging to them in order to disguise themselves," the statement read in part.

The party applauded its members who immediately realised this “trap” and refused to partake of it.

"We established that a few NUP MPs had unfortunately picked this money, since everyone else was picking it. The party convened an emergency caucus meeting yesterday [Monday] and resolved that members belonging to NUP who had picked the money return it immediately because it was clearly a bribe," said the party.

The party condemned the move, saying that this is going on at a time when the citizens of Uganda are grappling with skyrocketing commodity prices and an extremely tough economic situation.

“How can public funds be handled in this manner? A quick summation of these funds shows that the regime is spending over Shs 20 billion on this illegal, immoral and corrupt venture," said the party.

NUP said President Museveni and his regime are not bothered about what ordinary Ugandans are going through as long as they are comfortably spending tax-payers’ money for their own benefit.