There was drama in Bugiri District as voters watched in disbelief as Bukooli North MP Gaster Kyawa Mugoya ordered the District COVID19 task force to hand back the four motorcycles he had given out to them to justify expenditure of the Shs20 million cash given to MPs to boost the fight against Coronavirus.
Following the Presidential directives on the matter where MPs were tasked to hand over the money to their respective district task forces in cash or present items to the district accounting officers in circumstances where the money had already been expended, Mugoya Kyawa presented four motorcycles to the task force and said the purchase was intended to ease the movement of patients from rural areas to hospitals. He tipped the taskforce which was headed by the RDC on how he wished the new transport machinery was to be used.
The donation however was received with heavy criticism from the population who maintained that all they needed at the moment was food and not motorcycles. “How do you buy motorcycles for the starving people unsteady of food! Shall we be taken to hospital after we die of hunger! ” Exclaimed one resident who preferred anonymity.
Following the reports on the President’s arrangements to set up Constituency COVID19 task forces, Kyawa wrote the the District requesting that the motorcycles he handed over to the people should be taken to his Constituency other than the entire district.
In a telephone interview with Mr Mugoya Sadam – the MPs unofficial assistant who reportedly received the letter from the MP to deliver to the District, the decision had been arrived at after all the Members of Parliament who returned the money or bought food items had ordered that they are supplied to members of their particular areas of representation and it was so unfair that the Bukooli North contribution would be used to serve the entire district.
” Why would you want the motorcycles donated by Hon Kyawa of Bukooli North serve the entire District yet the food bought by others doesn’t feed the people of Bukooli? ” Mr Mugoya wondered before adding that his MP was not bothered by the opinions of his critics as he was still trying to organize to see how more the people of Bukooli North can be helped out of the current crisis.
Other notable people who have so far donated to the taskforce include ,NRM Secretary General and former Bugiri Woman MP Justine Kasule whose contribution has been immeasurable since the crisis started, Woman MP Taka Wejuli, who bought 10000kgrams of maize floor just like his Bukooli Central counterpart Solomon Silwany. Bugiri Municipality MP Alhaji Asuman Basalirwa returned the money in cash, obeying the presidential directive on the matter,while former Bukooli North MP Baka Mugabi donated 10000 kg of cassava floor the the taskforce.
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