Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has reiterated the need for competence and seriousness in Uganda’s Parliament, warning against electing leaders he described as “wheelbarrow pushers.”
Speaking about the central role of MPs in national budgeting, Ssemujju emphasised that the work requires diligence, research, and patience.
“From December to May, you only do one thing—budgeting. Spend two months reading and understanding. That’s why when they are apportioning the budget and I am not there, that Parliament will miss me,” he said.
He explained that MPs are tasked with reviewing thousands of pages of financial documents before approving the national budget.
“Each of these books I have carried is 4,000 pages. It’s just one set of books we must read when we are apportioning the national budget,” he noted, stressing that only dedicated leaders can handle such responsibility.
Ssemujju further criticised voters who, in frustration with the elite, consider electing incompetent leaders. “If a particular group of elite have disappointed you, you don’t hand over the country to wheelbarrow pushers,” he cautioned.
The opposition legislator also defended his often controversial political stance, saying he values integrity above populism.
“I don’t want to look good by doing the wrong thing. I would rather look bad for doing the right thing. Time will tell,” he remarked.
Ssemujju’s comments underline his consistent call for Ugandans to elect MPs with the knowledge, discipline, and integrity to strengthen Parliament’s legislative and oversight role.