Kampala, Uganda: Uganda’s Opposition leaders lashed out at President Yoweri Museveni on Friday, moments after the latter released a public rebuttal of reports that a section of MPs were each rewarded with Shs100 million as a token of appreciation for supporting a controversial bill.
Speaking shortly after the President’s lengthy April 11 statement, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, accused Museveni of ‘beating around the bush’ instead of addressing the central issue.
“Instead of responding to the issue of Shs100m, he is deflecting—dodging the matter at hand,” Ssenyonyi in an interview with Monitor.. “He wasted three pages beating around the bush. The critical issue is the Shs100m allegedly given to MPs to thank them for passing the Coffee Bill and to ease passage of the amendment to the UPDF Act. That’s what he should respond to.”
The President’s statement, issued in response to ongoing scrutiny triggered by a Daily Monitor exposé, sought to defend the use of classified budgets in the name of national security while downplaying the allegations of financial handouts to MPs.
“Has this helped to keep the peace? Absolutely,” Museveni wrote. “Is that not the reason why Uganda is an island of peace in this area? How many traitor groups and schemes have we defeated?”
The President, in his lengthy statement, also accused Opposition MPs and media critics of hypocrisy, citing what he claimed was a failure to condemn foreign interference in Uganda’s political affairs.
“For the Kivumbi group of Opposition MPs and for the Monitor Newspaper, I have one question: ‘Dear Sirs and Madams, have you ever heard of foreign funds being sent into Uganda to influence our politics in favour of the foreigners?’” the 80-year-old leader asked rhetorically. He added: “When you receive foreign funds, you are not only corrupt, but you are a traitor.”
However, LOP Ssenyonyi brushed off the President’s remarks, dismissing the foreign interference narrative as a diversionary tactic. “According to the Trump administration, the Museveni government has been receiving all manner of funds which they never account for,” Ssenyonyi said, adding, “Let him talk to the nation about that.”
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting within political parties to investigate and act on the alleged cash payouts. Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Secretary General Fred Ebil confirmed that the party had begun internal investigations.
“We have instituted a committee that has already commenced investigations into the matter, and once we confirm any of our members were beneficiaries, disciplinary action shall be taken,” Ebil said.
Buganda Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson and Deputy NUP President for Central Region, Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, described the alleged payments as “bad money” and urged recipients to return it.
“This is bad money. We should not be part of this game of Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,” the Butambala County MP said on Thursday. “For those who may have received it, we urge you to find the courage to return it. We have passed a resolution, and each member will sign it to show their disapproval.”
Sources close to Parliament told DailyExpress that the cash was handed out following lobbying by MPs through Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua, and the disbursements were reportedly made through designated government offices in and around Parliament and Nakasero.
The scandal has once again placed Parliament under intense public scrutiny, with civil society and the Opposition in the East African country demanding greater transparency and accountability in government spending.
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