The outspoken Parish priest of Kitanga Catholic Parish in Kabale Diocese, Reverend Father Gaetano Batanyenda has blasted the National Resistance Movement party legislators for allegedly pocketing Shs40 Million, describing it as a shameful decision in the time when the country needs resources than ever to fight Covid-19.
It’s reported that the received amount was a balance on the Shs200m promised to them to amend the Constitution and remove the 75-year cap for presidential candidates.
Fr Batanyenda who’s also the head of the inter religious council in Kigezi sub region as well as the vice chairman of Kick Corruption out of Uganda said some leaders in the country have chosen to make the Coronavirus disease a profitable adventure, and therefore will do all possible to exploit the opportunity.
Batanyenda rallied the legislators to instead donate to the Covid-19 National Task Force, just like the president donated half of his salary.
“I haven’t seen any of them donating to the task force; at least we witnessed the President giving away a half of his monthly salary. Where are these legislators? They even want to take a little that is available” Batanyenda said.
The NRM party Members of Parliament on Friday last week reportedly received Shs40 million each amidst tension between the Executive and Legislature over the controversial 10 billion COVID-19 funds. A groups of 317 legislators who previously supported the lifting of the presidential age limit in the Constitution are the ones who benefited.
The legislators received the money after President Museveni criticized their decision of awarding themselves Shs20 million to each MP by Parliamentary Commission to aid their fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
President Museveni in his address described the act of allocating funds to MPs as immoral.
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