The Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi has claimed that a cash bonanza is currently happening in Parliament, where each legislator is receiving Shs100 million in appreciation of supporting the recently passed Coffee Bill.
He also alleges that this contentious allocation is part of a strategy to ready MPs for the proposed amendment to the UPDF Act, which seeks to permit civilians to be tried in the Court Martial.
On Tuesday, the Nile Post reported that each MP, regardless of political affiliation, would be entering the Easter break Shs100m richer.
The report indicated that this controversial funding had been drawn from the Shs4 trillion supplementary budget that was approved last month.
Ssenyonyi asserted on Tuesday evening that it is indeed true that both ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs and select opposition members are currently being given Shs100 million each at Parliament.
"We've learnt that there is money which is surreptitiously exchanging hands in Parliament. Information reaching us is that they are giving each NRM MP (and a few selected opposition MPs) 100m shs each, as appreciation for the coffee bill that was passed, and also in readiness for the proposed amendment to the UPDF Act which will seek to cement the trial of civilians in the Court Martial inspite of the Supreme Court ruling." Ssenyonyi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
According to sources as earlier reported by this publication, NRM MPs collected their funds from the Office of the President on Level 4, while opposition and independent MPs received theirs from Level 5 of Parliament.
This situation has since sparked political controversy and concerns among taxpayers.
While some MPs have confirmed to the Nile Post that the funds were meant for mobilization, others have remained silent or claimed the money is intended to support government initiatives.
The development comes at a time when Parliament is facing criticism over corruption and the continuous approval of supplementary budgets, which further increase the country's reliance on external borrowing.
This is not the first instance of 'cash bonanza" at Parliament.
In June 2022, reports surfaced that legislators had each received a Shs40 million 'bribe' to pass a supplementary budget, even before the budget for the 2022/23 financial year had been presented.
The 11th Parliament consists of 556 members.
If each member were to receive Shs100m as part of the cash bonanza, the total amount given to them would amount to Shs55.6 billion.