The Director for External Affairs of the ruling National Resistance Movement, Maj (Rtd) Awich Pollar, has dismissed widespread claims that members received Shs 100 million following the recently concluded retreat in Kyankwanzi, clarifying that only a Shs 20 million “gesture” was mentioned by the President.
Speaking to Canary Mugume during Next Big Talk on Next Radio, Pollar said reports of Shs 100 million payouts are speculative and not backed by any official communication.
“Members of Parliament requested facilitation after the retreat, which is normal in many organizational settings. The President only mentioned a Shs 20 million gesture, not Shs 100 million,” he said.
Pollar added that the Shs 20 million was not part of any formal resolution at the retreat.
“There is no evidence of Shs 100 million; those claims are speculative and not based on official communication. The Shs 20 million was not part of any formal resolution at Kyankwanzi; it came up as a by-the-way gesture,” he said.
He also downplayed reports of internal contestation over the Speakership, describing remarks made during the retreat as lighthearted and not indicative of active competition.
“At the NRM retreat, comments about the Speakership race were made lightly, more in a spirit of camaraderie than competition. The issue was deferred to the appropriate time, and members respected that,” he noted.
However, Francis Mwijukye argued that the central issue is not whether funds were distributed, but their source and justification.
“What’s in the public domain is clear — the President mentioned Shs 20 million, with more said to come later. Nobody should be surprised about money being given out at Kyankwanzi; that’s what happens there,” he said.
“The real issue is not whether money was given, but where it comes from and how it is justified,” he added.
Mwijukye further emphasized that tackling corruption requires broad political will across all arms of government.
“Corruption will not end without political will across the executive, legislature, and judiciary. You cannot expect public servants to fight corruption, yet they paid to get those jobs,” he said.
The remarks come amid renewed warnings from Yoweri Museveni, who addressed corruption concerns during the closing of the retreat held at his presidential farm in Nakaseke District.
Museveni cautioned that corruption within oversight institutions poses a direct threat to governance.
“If the oversight bodies themselves are corrupt, who will oversee them? That would be institutional suicide,” he said.
He revealed that whistleblower reports had exposed alleged corrupt practices within parliamentary committees, including demands for payments from public officials seeking budget approvals.
“They would tell public servants bringing budgets for approval that if they did not pay, the budgets would not pass. Committees had to be paid,” he said.
The President referenced the 2024 arrests of legislators, including Cissy Namujju, Yusuf Mutembuli, and Paul Akamba, who were accused of soliciting a 20 percent bribe from the Uganda Human Rights Commission. The trio was later released on bail, and charges were dropped in January 2026.
Despite the dismissal, Museveni issued a firm warning against corruption in public office.
“I do not want to hear of corruption again in Parliament. Anyone found giving or receiving bribes will face a technical knockout they will be removed from office,” he said.
He urged officials to report any attempts at bribery and cautioned legislators against excessive borrowing, warning that financial pressures could compromise their integrity and decision-making.