Kira Municipality MP, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda has given a lengthy and reasoned explanation in response to a direct question posed by a social media user about the allocation of 50 million.
However, it is worth noting that he avoided directly answering the question (whether the deputies received 50 million each or not). Furthermore, Ssemuju implies that the fact that President Museveni is known for his lavish spending somehow justifies similar spending by the Speaker. This reasoning suggests a false moral equivalence – essentially asserting that if an individual overcommits, this excuses similar behavior by others.
However, it is important to note that the President’s budget must also be approved by the same Parliament that is currently under scrutiny to allocate Sh40 million to itself.
He Added “The public has every reason to be angry with all of us but the solution is not getting rid of Among. In a Parliament where MPs connive to share Shs 170 billion meant for closed cooperatives and another group share iron sheets meant for poor people in Karamoja, a service award begins to look normal. That is why the solution is “Remove Museveni and make sure he is not succeeded by his son”- Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, MP Kira Municipality Said.
The Decision to exclude the press from discussions on Parliamentary Budgets effectively exclude the public these lawmakers claim to represent. If the protected allocations were truly legitimate, why were they handled in secret?Why treat it as if it were confidential information?
Lawmakers’ efforts to justify excessive spending by citing similar wrongdoing and legality are disappointing. This raises the question of whether such practices should be normalized and accepted. Instead of maintaining its role as the institution responsible for oversight and holding other branches of government accountable, Parliament used the transgressions of others to justify its own.
The institution responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability is currently outside public scrutiny.Opposition MPs, whose job is to keep the government in check, appeared silent, hesitant or engaged in defending their own questionable actions and financial irresponsibility.
This raises concerns about where these MPs will find the moral authority to demand accountability from entities such as Uganda Airlines, the police, State House, NSSF , NWSC, UMEME and others. How can they credibly address issues of theft or misuse of taxpayers’ money when they themselves do not want to be held responsible? If they don’t want transparency and public accountability, how can they expect that from others?
