Amidst the fervor of the #ParliamentElection2024 spearheaded by journalist Agatha Atuheire and Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, renowned for his track record of outstanding online exhibitions such as the Kampala Pothole Expo, a plethora of revelations have surfaced, shedding light on the inner workings of parliament and its penchant for swimming in a sea of cash.
The Parliamentary Expo in question has brought to the forefront startling details about the allocation of a staggering Shs1.7 billion as service awards, divvied up among former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga and three other commissioners. Shocking figures unveil how Speaker Anita Among and her subordinates habitually expend taxpayers’ money on activities that may never have transpired, with even junior staff signing off on millions allegedly on behalf of the Speaker.
This saga commenced a fortnight ago, when reports surfaced of parliament spending over Shs500 million on Speaker Anita Among and her husband, Eng Moses Magogo Hashim, for a brief sojourn in Kenya the previous month. The revelation exposed that the Speaker accrues a whopping $4000 (equivalent to Shs.15 million) per day as her per diem.
In the wake of mounting complaints and disclosures regarding the fiscal mismanagement at parliament, Inspector General of Government (IGG) Betty Kamya has affirmed her office’s keen interest in investigating certain officials. The Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 2023 further exposed irregularities in the payroll, including the diversion of funds to unauthorized expenditures. AG John Muwanga flagged a diversion of Shs1.2 billion, highlighting the lack of verification for several parliamentary staff receiving substantial payments.
The report underscored that out of 577 employees on the Parliamentary Commission’s permanent salary payroll for May 2023, only 96.4 percent were fully verified, leaving 3.6 percent unaccounted for. Additionally, the funds allocated to the Office of the Leader of Government Business witnessed a reduction of Shs1 billion to Shs2.9 billion. With a budget of Shs945.5 billion for the current fiscal year ending in June, the parliament, entrusted with core responsibilities like legislating, representation, and oversight, spends an average of Shs79 billion monthly, Shs18.2 billion weekly, Shs2.6 billion daily, and Shs108 million per hour.
During an Agora Discourse organized on X (formerly Twitter), Parliament’s Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Chris Obore, acknowledged that some junior staff received money on behalf of Speaker Anita Among to execute her tasks. However, he emphasized that this was not for personal use, asserting that the funds were channeled into individual accounts to support corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
In response to calls for accountability, Lubaga Division Residential City Commissioner (RCC) Anderson Herbert Bulora urged the Speaker of Parliament to step aside, advocating for an audit into the management of parliamentary affairs, particularly scrutinizing expenditure and the squandering of taxpayers’ money. Bulora drew attention to the irony of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) incarcerating businessmen and women for tax non-compliance while taxes, which lead to such penalties, are spent profligately and irresponsibly by those entrusted to ensure judicious use.
