Seventy-two opposition Members of Parliament have signed a resolution disowning the alleged Shs100 million payout from a classified State House budget, calling it corrupt and secretive.
The resolution was unveiled by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, who said the signatories had taken a firm stand against the "unethical and clandestine" disbursement of public funds.
“Signing this document is like taking an oath of allegiance,” Ssenyonyi said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is a public commitment by these members to disassociate themselves from the Shs100 million saga. If any of them signed yet took the money, the truth will catch up with them,"he added.
The alleged cash handouts, reportedly distributed without official disclosure, have drawn sharp criticism from civil society and the public, who see them as a misuse of taxpayer money.
Ssenyonyi noted that the payouts believed to be drawn from a classified State House budget raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
He further challenged those behind the payout to expose any MPs who may have received the money while falsely denying it.
“If anyone signed yet received your money, please expose them,” he said, adding that MPs who refused to sign the resolution might fear being implicated.
Ssenyonyi also dismissed arguments that the money could be justified if used for community development, asserting that misusing public funds is unjustifiable regardless of intent.
“There should never be justification for corruption. Theft is theft, no matter the purpose,” he said. “And this money is a form of corruption that’s why it’s being distributed in secrecy.”
Notably, some prominent opposition MPs, including Parliamentary Commissioner Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, have not signed the resolution.
The development comes amid growing scrutiny of parliamentary spending and mounting calls for transparency and accountability.
In a statement issued Friday, President Museveni defended the payout, claiming the funds were intended to "promote activities that help in defeating enemy schemes in Uganda," and served a patriotic purpose.
He dismissed the characterisation of the money as a bonus or handout, framing it instead as support for internal operations meant to safeguard national peace and sovereignty.
Museveni also accused opposition figures and media of pushing foreign interests.
The backlash echoes similar public outrage in 2021, when MPs received Shs200 million each as a car grant during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Opposition MPs are now demanding a full explanation from Parliament and the Ministry of Finance, warning that continued secrecy over public funds is eroding public trust.
Despite the President’s justification, the Shs100 million payout has reignited debates about transparency, patronage, and the use of classified expenditures in Ugandan politics.
