The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has expressed its concern over taxpayers’ money, saying President Yoweri Museveni has spent too much money on his wealth creation tours “whose unstated aim is creation of a poor and vulnerable population dependent on handouts from a permanently vote seeking ruler.”
Recently, parliament allocated Shs31.6 billion for inland travel under State House during the financial year 2018, however supplement him with Shs17.5 billion to specifically finance tours.
Speaking at party headquarters, FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, said Museveni has spent Shs17.5 billion touring the country under the guise of promoting Wealth Creation, “In fact in a supplementary request he made in May 2019, he also asked for Shs15.7 billion for classified expenditure under his residence,” he said.
“He has officially spent Shs33.2 billion on tours in three months, everywhere he has gone, he has been bribing councilors with Shs300,000 transport refund who in return are required to pass a resolution declaring him sole Presidential candidate president,” he said.
However, Mr. Don Wanyama, the Senior Presidential Press Secretary dismissed FDC’s assertion saying the opposition party never sees anything useful in whatever Mr Museveni does and therefore, he would be surprised if they instead praised him.
“I would be surprised if FDC actually found anything positive about Museveni. Its a party founded on criticizing Museveni, what more can they say? But just for their education, the President has the mandate to meet Ugandans at any time and engage them on any subject he deems to be important. This time, it is the idea of sensitising the masses on how to move into the money economy. This is an obviously important subject. It’s why a government even exists in the first place; to improve the people’s welfare. And information, in this push, is important. That’s what the President is doing – – educating the public.” Mr Wanyama said.
Adding “If the public at these meetings choose to endorse the President to run in 2021, that is not Mr Museveni’s problem and he can’t stop them. At least he’s stuck to the primary reason for this nationwide tour.
And yes, in executing his duties, the law allows taxpayers to facilitate the President. There’s nothing criminal there”.
Semujju said, the country knows, that Operation Wealth Creation is now five years, however has been as disastrous as all his earlier campaign slogans such as Modernization of Agriculture and Prosperity for all, “the aim was never to help the population out of poverty. Today, more than 70 per cent of the population is still producing for the stomach (subsistence farming),” he said.
“Not surprising that Museveni himself and his brother Gen. Salim Saleh, commander of Operation Poverty Creation disguised as Wealth Creation are some of the few most successful farmers the regime has created in the last three and half decades,” he said.
He said Farmers have perennially complained about limited access to credit for production, lack of water for production, limited access to market, poor and inadequate storage and processing facilities leading to poor-harvest management.
In May 2013 and the months is always May and two years to an election, Museveni processed a supplementary request of Shs49.8 billion for 20 community outreach each costing Shs2.49 billion. He had already given himself Shs13.7 billion for what he called mobilization of masses towards poverty reduction under code 1611093.
