Some Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) have distanced themselves from the Regional Parliamentary sittings organized by Parliament, describing the Shs20 billion budgeted for these sittings as wastage of taxpayers’ money, given that each sitting is expected to cost around Shs5 billion.
The revelation was made by Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of Opposition, during a press briefing at Parliament, where he accused the top leadership of Parliament of committing taxpayers’ money in a process whose concept he says doesn’t make both logical and financial sense to Ugandans, given the challenges the country is currently grappling with.
“We understand that about Shs5 billion is going to be spent on each of these sittings, not all of them, each of these sittings. The first one being in Gulu, then there will be another in Mbarara, then another in Mbale and one of the Central Uganda districts. This expenditure is difficult for us to explain to the public and the people we represent. It is total wastage, so we are saying, for this which doesn’t make logical, financial sense, it is a problem we don’t want to be part of,” said
The Leader of Opposition warned that the continued involvement of Parliament in activities that are wastage of taxpayers’ money will attract more anger from the public that is already disgruntled with the corruption and abuse of office currently happening at Parliament.
“The general public has been bashing Parliament and rightly so, because they have been hearing of the grand theft that has been happening in this institution, in different offices, beginning with the top office in this institution, and then you come out and do such a thing which isn’t explainable at all, it doesn’t make sense,” said
Ssenyonyi also wondered why these funds aren’t available to the Committees to carry out their oversight roles, which would see them go to the Communities to listen to people’s concerns, and have a report written and debated by Parliament.
“That is why you hear some sections of the public saying that maybe this is another ploy to account for money that is being stolen. Our (Opposition) participation is difficult to justify. We have Committees of Parliament and these Committees go and work on behalf of Parliament, why don’t we empower committees? Many times, committees complain that they aren’t able to go out to the field. Why don’t we empower committees as opposed to doing it this way,” noted Ssenyonyi?
“Medical interns are protesting because they aren’t being deployed, only a small group and the Ministry of Health is saying, the reason we aren’t deploying is because we don’t have resources. Give us more money and we shall deploy all of them. Police officers are saying, we were promised a pay rise, but they are saying we have been duped and they are only getting a small fraction of that which was promised and where is the other money that was promised to us? Will the public understand us when we are spending Shs5Bn to go to Gulu, Mbale, Mbarara and the Central Region? They will not understand because it doesn’t make sense at all. It is a waste,” Ssenyonyi remarked.
“There might be some people who might be excited that all MPs have come to meet in their area, but beyond the excitement, then what? Aren’t we able to sit here and deliberate on issues that are of concern to Northern, Eastern, Western and Central Uganda, and then push through to make sure those matters are addressed? And that is why we don’t want to be part of this unexplainable process, which is very clear wastage and not justifiable at all. So, it doesn’t make sense for you to say, you are going to transport the entire Parliament and then spend a lot of money, which money could do several things,” added
