Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), has accused Parliament of distributing Shs100 million to each legislator as a reward for their support of the recently passed Coffee Bill.
Joel Ssenyonyi also suggests that this allocation is part of a broader strategy to prepare MPs for the proposed amendment to the UPDF Act, which would allow civilians to be tried in the Court Martial, despite the Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
On Tuesday, local website (Nile Post) reported that MPs from all political parties are set to leave for the Easter break with Shs100 million each, drawn from the Shs4 trillion supplementary budget approved last month.
Joel Ssenyonyi confirmed the reports, claiming that both members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and a few selected opposition MPs were receiving the funds. He expressed his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We’ve learned that money is changing hands in Parliament. Each NRM MP, along with some opposition MPs, are being given Shs100 million as gratitude for passing the Coffee Bill and in preparation for the proposed UPDF Act amendment to allow civilian trials in the Court Martial.”
Sources cited by the publication have confirmed that NRM MPs collected their funds from the Office of the President on Level 4, while opposition and independent MPs received theirs from Level 5 of Parliament.
The distribution of these funds has sparked political controversy and raised concerns among taxpayers. While some MPs have confirmed the money was for mobilization efforts, others have either remained silent or suggested it was meant to support government initiatives.
This development comes at a time when Parliament is already facing criticism for its handling of corruption issues and its continued approval of supplementary budgets, which further contribute to the country’s growing dependence on external borrowing.
This is not the first time such “cash bonanzas” have occurred in Parliament. In June 2022, reports emerged that MPs had received Shs40 million each to pass a supplementary budget, even before the budget for the 2022/23 financial year had been presented.
The 11th Parliament, comprising 556 members, would see a total of Shs55.6 billion allocated if each legislator received Shs100 million as part of this alleged cash bonanza.
