Ugandan lawmakers are not happy with President Yoweri Museveni. Not just the president, but also the Judiciary.
The fall out has made us forget the number of Covid-19 infections, which are soaring towards 100 very soon.
The fall out is not about covid-19 vaccine, or, strategy to fish the millions of Ugandans from their biting hunger.
Money is the problem. And we are officially distracted from the pandemic that could break out barriers.
Cash unites Legislators. It is historical. This is one thing both ruling and opposition members of parliament will agree on, save for a few dissent voices, usually wanting to score a few political points.
Parliament is in a deep hole. They are unfortunately digging it deeper. The chief architect of the hole digging is the speaker of parliament herself. When she was corrected by the president that sh10 billion for MPs was a distraction. Kadaga instead has actually made some sorry statements in her press conference on Thursday. She is rallying her troops to fight back the executive and judiciary that has made a ruling on this matter, agreeing with Mr Museveni’s views.
Now Kadaga is asking us to focus on the sh300 billion passed in the supplementary budget. She comes off as meaning that the entire supplementary was bogus, selfish and there is not reason Parliament should not share in the loot.
MPs are angry because after they hunted their animal (read sh10 billion), President in his latest address to the nation over Covid
-19 pandemic, punched them in the face, demanded they forfeit the money and give it to districts.
Mr Museveni ran away with scores of praise and support from the angry public who believe MPs were being greedy. MPs believe the president has sacrificed them.
The speaker and MPs fighting to keep sh20 million each, give away the spirit in which they took the money. They think sh300 billion passed to fight Covid-19 was not qualified.
It speaks volumes of the intention of MPs.
They actually never wanted the money to serve their people. It was meant to help MPs balance their financial books, or give a few tokens to be seen.
This is a disadvantage to Parliament and its speaker Rebecca Kadaga who never shies away from a good or bad fight. If anyone dares her, Kadaga is not one to coil her tail between her legs.
We should concentrate our efforts on fighting Covid-19. MPs and their Speaker are just playing victims.
The truth of the matter is that this time round she made turned a wrong corner. Kadaga and her MPs are not reading the situation correctly.
There is no one stealing the show. We have a pandemic that badly needs to be fixed. It will not be fixed by sh20 million in MPs pockets.
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