KAMPALA – Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has criticized Members of Parliament for allocating themselves Shs10 billion of the budget meant for fighting coronavirus.
According to Dr Besigye, whereas leaders in other countries are contributing to the government in this period, those in Uganda are taking away from the state.
“Surely, what’s wrong with Uganda’s leaders? Everywhere in the world, leaders are donating their earnings to help the COVID19 fight,” he said on Wednesday.
“Uganda’s leaders see an opportunity to increase their “benefits”! MPs getting more than $5,000- each to help them fight Covid19!
Stop this habit,” Dr Besigye added.
He then shared screenshots of stories in Kenya and Ghana where senior officials have forfeited their salaries to contribute to the fight against coronavirus.
Last week, Parliament allocated Shs10b out of the Shs304b supplementary budget passed last week to the MPs.
However, on Wednesday Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said the money was meant for the MPs whose ambulances are already working on Covid-19 related emergencies.
Speaker Kadaga in an a live interview aired on NBS Television said that the House is working hand in hand with government in the fight against Covid-19. The institution has already released its buses to the Ministry of Health to transport health workers to and from their work stations, and, has also released its ambulances for emergency response.
Ms Kadaga also revealed without giving a breakdown, that, part of the Shs10b will help to maintain, fuel and pay allowances for driver of ambulances already released by MPs to help the task forces at the district level.
“The Members were getting expenses of send money for fuel and it had now become a burden to the MPs. They came here saying ‘find us some money from Parliamentary budget'” the Speaker said.
