Bukoto South MP Twaha Kagabo has returned the controversial Shs 40 million that was allegedly received by all legislators to pass the supplementary budget of Shs680 billion towards the end of the last Financial Year, 2021/2022.
The President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine held a crisis meeting at the party headquarters and asked MPs who subscribe to the party, to return the money in question.
Kagabo returned the money to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Matthias Mpuuga. However, Mpuuga advised him to return the money where he picked it from.
“In line with the NUP party position and directive from my party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu for every MP on the party ticket that received the controversial Shs 40m to return it, I have returned the money. We must take the lead in the fight against corruption,” Kagabo said.
Kagabo said he received the money on his bank account from an unknown source and a few days later he was told that the money was from an internal organisation of parliament.
Chris Obore, parliament’s director for communication, denied that MPs were given any money. He told the Observer that sometimes, MPs drum up such stories when they have disagreed politically on something and want to tarnish the name of the speaker.
“I can tell you, there is no way parliament can pay MPs in cash; never. Under which law? Which bank can you withdraw that money from? If they have been given money then it is not from the parliamentary commission account,” Obore said.
Obore said the only money that parliament allocated itself to cater for unfunded priorities like the buying of the speaker and deputy speaker’s cars, was the Shs 193 billion which was highlighted in recent weeks.
