The Ntungamo Municipality Member of Parliament Yona Musinguzi has accused the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza of lying to President Yoweri Museveni and stealing over Shs50bn in disguise that she will manufacture Covid-19 vaccine.
Dr Musenero is a consultant epidemiologist to the government of Uganda and she is one of President Museveni’s trusted advisors when it comes to epidemics and pandemics.
While reacting to the Minister of Health Dr. Ruth Aceng’s report on the vaccination status in the country during the Thursday plenary, MP Musinguzi also a member of the ruling party-NRM said the supplies for Covid-19 are either donations or grants and the country’s procurements are very low yet there is a group of people who are siphoning money from the President.
“I want this House to recall that in 2020 a certain group of scientists went and convinced the President that they can produce Covid-19 vaccine and indeed they went ahead and drew big sums of money. In 2020 they drew some Shs20bn for a a sole company called Preside under the directorship of Dr. Musenero,” Musinguzi said.
He further claimed that in 2021 Dr. Musenero convinced the President that when she is appointed a minister for science, she will produce a vaccine. She went ahead and got Shs50bn from the Ministry of Science, yet the same scientists in the same ministry had not gotten their salaries.
“Yesterday I was at their head office in Ntinda, where the so-called Preside is. I have not found there any test tube in that office, there is no laboratory, I have not found there any scientist because I found there her cousin who is a security guard, guarding only chairs in the office. But Madam Speaker let this Parliament not be used for rubber stumping of masqueraders to come and withdraw money, siphon and take, we remain here clapping that we are passing a budget yet we are passing it in peoples’ pockets.”
Musinguzi added that Minister Aceng is struggling to get vaccines through donations yet some people are pocketing money which is enough to buy vaccines for Ugandans.
“Money has been siphoned by people who have marketed themselves and go to the President lie to him that they can produce vaccines. They even chased away right doctors who would have done wonders in the ministry of science. These people even went ahead and convinced the president to abolish the whole Ministry all in the name of siphoning the country.”
While reacting to his submission, the House leader who presided over the plenary Deputy Speaker Anita Among asked him to document his allegation since Parliament works on facts.
“Hon Member if you want this House to take what you are saying please put the evidence on the table so that we appreciate that really what you are saying about the minister is true.”
However, MP Musinguzi went ahead and informed the Deputy Speaker that he has never stood in the House and spoke based on allegations.
“I’m a former Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Science and I’m talking from an informed point of view.”
The matter escalated and the Deputy Speaker postponed the discussion to Tuesday next week when the accused Minister is in the House.
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