The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has returned the shs20 million given to each MP to facilitate them in the fight against Coronavirus.
The High Court recently ordered MPs to return the money to their respective district task forces or the Parliamentary Commission.
The Nile Post has however learnt that Kadaga, who is also the Kamuli woman MP has returned the money and fellow legislators from Kamuli district followed suit and handed the money to the district task force.
“The speaker’s money was handed over to the Kamuli RDC by her Personal Assistant identified as Mark David Kibuuka on Tuesday,” the source who preferred anonymity told the Nile Post.
However, when contacted for a comment on the matter, Kadaga’s Press Secretary Sam Obbo could not be reached as our phone calls to him could not go through.
Later we were informed his phones were off whereas efforts to reach him on Whats app were futile as he was not online.
Background
Following the backlash from members of the public about the MPs’ Coronavirus cash totaling to shs10 billion, Kadaga defended the legislators saying the money was meant to assist them in various activities in their constituencies.
Addressing the nation, President Museveni said the MPs had laid themselves a trap and advised them to return the money to the district task forces.
“We had planned in another way and you come and change. It is not a good way. It is morally reprehensible for MPs to give themselves money for personal use when the country is in such a crisis; and totally unacceptable to me and to the NRM,”Museveni said.
The High Court in Kampala later ordered all MPs to return the share of the money that was sent to them or hand it to their respective district task forces in their constituencies.
However, Kadaga asked the MPs not to return the money, adding that Parliament was under attack from both the Executive and Judiciary and threatened to “fight back.”
President Museveni in another letter indicated that Parliament undermined the executive by diverting the Shs10 billion from the supplementary budget which was initially looking at key sectors in the Covid-19 fight and ordered for an audit.
“First of all, it is unconstitutional, both in logic and law, it cannot be correct that the Head of Government, the president through the ministers responsible, submits a plan for expenditure to parliament and then parliament reshuffles priorities and creates its own against the plan of the president,” Museveni said in an April, 28 letter said.
“My decision therefore is that by copy of this letter, I am requesting the Auditor General to audit this aspect, where the MPs became purchasing officers of the state and see whether their efforts were legal. I ask him to conclude it in four weeks so that we do not have to wait indefinitely,” he wrote.
