Bobi Wine lacks necessary knowledge to be president, says Odonga Otto

Former Member of Parliament for Aruu North County, Samuel Odonga Otto has criticised the Leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine for hastily accusing former Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Opposition.

Otto argued that this rush to judgment not only demonstrates Kyagulanyi's lack of information but also proves his unsuitability for the presidency of Uganda.

The NUP leadership recently called for the resignation of Mpuuga, who serves as the party's deputy president in the Buganda region.

The decision was made in response to allegations of corruption and abuse of office. However, Mpuuga rejected the claims in a statement on Friday, denying any fraudulent receipt of a Shs500 million 'service award' from Parliament.

The media extensively covered the growing conflict between the two leaders, particularly regarding how they conducted their work.

Mpuuga explained that the money he received was allocated to him legally by a Commission in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition. The allocation went through the relevant committees of Parliament to ensure its legality, feasibility, sustainability, and relevancy.

In a video clip, Otto dismissed Kyagulanyi's accusations against Mpuuga as mere cheap politics, emphasizing that the law allows the parliamentary commission to determine the salary and benefits of MPs, including those of the Leader of the Opposition.

"Anyone who claims Mathias Mpuuga is corrupt and should resign is being unfair and unqualified not only to be the president of this country but even to be a head prefect because they lack knowledge of the law,” he said

Speaking candidly about his involvement in legislative matters during his time in office, Otto shed light on the evolution of benefits for high-ranking officials.

He recalled passing a law around 2006 that granted benefits to the Vice President, such as a salary for life, domestic workers, and a rented house.

Over time, this law was amended to extend similar benefits to the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Otto expressed concern over the exclusion of the Leader of the Opposition from these benefits, emphasizing the need to amend the law to rectify the situation.

Otto criticized the Parliamentary Commission for mishandling the issue, particularly their recent decision to grant a 500 million shilling ex gratia payment to any individual assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition.

He asserted that the Parliamentary Commission should have amended the law to include the entitlements of the Leader of the Opposition and called for fairness in the treatment of parliamentary leaders.

Otto suggested that former leaders of the opposition, such as Prof Ogenga Latigo, Betty Oal Ochan, Nandala Mafabi, and Betty Aol Ochan, should also be included in the law.

While Otto acknowledged Mpuuga's acceptance of the 500 million shillings and thanked him for his two and a half years of service as the Leader of the Opposition, he also highlighted the lack of accountability towards the Speaker of Parliament, who earns a significant salary of 500 million shillings per month.

"The problem lies with the Parliamentary Commission. They should have amended the law to make the entitlements of the Leader of the Opposition statutory," Otto said.