Parliament has handed over vehicles to four former Speakers of Parliament and their deputies, the vehicles are worth Shs3 billion.
The four include Rebecca Kadaga, Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi, Francis Butagira, Al Hajji Moses Kigongo, and Prof. Edward Rugumayo.
While handing over the vehicles, Speaker Anita Among revealed that Parliament will be giving the former Speakers new cars every five years, and the cost of fuel, maintenance, and salaries of the drivers of the vehicles will be paid by Ugandan taxpayers.
“You will be required to bring your own driver, whom we will recruit as parliamentary staff; Parliament will pay that driver of yours. The car remains a property of the government of Uganda. The Parliament will maintain and fuel these cars. But Parliament will, every five years, give you a new car. Or in between, when the car gets a problem, you will bring it back, and we will give you a new car. You are property of the government of Uganda, so we are supposed to look after you,” she said.
She also noted that the recent enactment of the Parliamentary Pensions Act expanded the beneficiaries to include all Speakers who served Uganda since 1979, thus entitling President Museveni, Chairman of the National Resistance Council (NRC) from 1896–1996; Edward Rugumayo, Speaker and Chairman of the National Consultative Council (NCC) from 1979–1980; Francis Butagira, 1980–1985; Al Haji Moses Kigongo, Vice Chairman of the NRC from 1986–1996; and Edward Ssekandi, 1998–2001, Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the 7th and 8th Parliament, to these cars every five years.
Francis Butagira, served as a Member of Parliament and as Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament (1980–1985). He has also served as Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kenya, Germany, Austria, and the Vatican. He also served as the Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations.
Sekandi served as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 1996 to 2001. He was elected as Speaker in 2001, a position he held until 2011. He was replaced as Speaker by Rebecca Kadaga, the first female Speaker of Parliament in Uganda’s history.
Kadaga was elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament in 2001, a position that she held until May 19, 2011, when she was elected Speaker of Parliament.
Other who served as Speaker but departed are James Wambogo Wapakhabulo, Francis Ayume, Jacob Oulanyah, Narendra Pat el and John Bowes
