Uganda: MoDVA – Supplementary Expenditure Schedule No. 3 for the FY 2017/18 Budget (22.05.2018)

Greed 101: The 10th Parliament MPs are doubling their own salaries!

“They have plundered the world, stripping naked the land in their hunger… they are driven by greed, if their enemy be rich; by ambition, if poor… They ravage, they slaughter, they seize by false pretenses, and all of this they hail as the construction of empire. And when in their wake nothing remains but a desert, they call that peace.” – Tacitus

These Members of Parliament is are the definition of greed. They already have cars paid by the government, and then not some off-back neck-in-the-woods ones, but something with 4 Wheel Drive and usually a SUV. These same MPs got tax exempt in 2016, that gotten suits, foods and other benefits in their salaries, they are so caked up with funds for themselves, it isn’t funny. And comparing these fellow brothers and sisters to average salary rate in the Republic. Would be an insult to salary rate in the Republic.

They are now in 2018 trying to get their salary doubled from 11 million shillings to 24 shillings. When they are already paid hefty sums for the cars, the monthly gratuity, medical expenses covered through insurance, wardrobe grants, furnished offices, mileage facilitation, constituency facilitations, sitting fees, allowances for plenary sittings and airtime allowances as well. There is nothing that is already covered, expect for the side-dish allowance, so if they have a man or woman on the side, the state will cover that too!

Because this is an insult to the state, the whole republic. They are already the special class who has a salary, which is tax-exempt, that they fixed for themselves in 2016. They have added and added for every Parliament, added more perks and more covering of their expenses, while their own salary has sky-rocketed.

It is a reason why they are unaccountable and not trusted, its because they are eating, while so many and plenty are living hand to mouth. While the state is figuring out more loans and added debt, these people are topping off on the loads of cash borrowed or donated. They are taking the aid and donations, the squeezing of every buck from the Republic as God-given right. They continue to do so.

So these subject isn’t new, at every twist and turn, these MPs are trying to hash out more funds from the public. Because of any reason within here and the moon. Let’s just be clear, this isn’t fair salary, this is a theft of a nation and the MPs are the embodiment of it. If they weren’t thieving like this, they are still getting kickbacks, grabbing land and also getting paid to vote in favour of the Presidents bills. That is known as the handshakes and “suits” has been given in the past for favourable bills.

This is the National Resistance Movement paradigm, we eat and the rest of you starve, because we need everything and deserve everything. We liberated you so we could eat off your plate and everyone else too. Because we deserve that, while the rest of you fork-up the money, so we can represent you. That is what they are saying and continue saying, without showing any signs of accountability or responsibility to their constituents, because they don’t matter anyway.

As long as they are paid, and paid-in-full. Peace.

10th Parliament MPs is extra greedy as they are eating another Shs. 100m. each!

You know there is something special, you know there is something out of bound and something compelling, when the Members of Parliament (MPs) who has no quarrels with eating without taxation, without thinking of their salaries compered to the ones who they represent. The constituency of the MP must feel betrayed as their allowances and their benefits are enormous, to say it at least, they are gigantic! But take a look at the latest big payment for the MPs!

“Parliament — MPs are smiling all the way to the bank after the government authorised the release of an extra Shs45b to Parliament, with each of the 449 lawmakers set to get an additional Shs100m, ostensibly to buy cars for constituency travels” (…) “In a June 13 letter titled: ‘Additional cash limit of Shs45.8b for the Parliamentary Commission’, Mr Keith Muhakanizi, the Secretary to the Treasury, authorised Ms Jane Kibirige, the Clerk to Parliament, to spend the cash as part of non-wage recurrent budget in the fourth quarter of the Financial Year 2016/2017. The clearance comes barely two weeks to the end of the Financial Year” (Arinaitwe & Manzil, 2017).

So the Members of Parliament are clearly getting another pay-day without passing to much legislation or any sort of consideration of the proposed budget or pledges they had for the financial year 2017/2018. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the NRM Caucus have clearly made together with the Parliamentary Commission to make a new pay-day for the MPs, yet again!

The National Resistance Movement and their MPs clearly like to get extra brown-envelopes without any considerations of the state of the budget or the way the funds are raised. It is not shocking, it seems like an ordinary event at this point. Not like it is the first time, the MPs uses their Noble place in the august house to enrich themselves and add cost to the state. Therefore, the added debt and interest payments should be feared by the MPs. Instead, they are adding debt and creating more interest without concern of the citizens.

The citizens are going to pay extra for this, they are the ones that are ripped off at broad-daylight. They are eating directly of the state reserve and does it with impunity. Also worth noticing, President Museveni is not sanctioning against it, since he can do as pleases. Since he is eating directly and misuse s it whenever he wants. Peace.

Reference:

Arinaitwe, Solomon & Manzil, Ibrahim – ‘Uganda: MPs Get Extra Shs100 Million Each for Cars’ (17.06.2017) link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201706190735.html?utm_campaign=allafrica%3Ainternal&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=promote%3Aaans%3Aabafbt

My letter to the 10th Parliament on their reckless behaviour!

Dear Members of Parliament!

I know by now that you doesn’t’ care much about the National Economy or about Transparency as you excluded yourself from the citizens you represented when you gave yourself a giant tax-break with no-income tax. That is the way you are I guess, reckless misbehaving children who are creating havoc in the candy store pointing at all the different kinds of treats and wants them all, even if it make them sick of sugar; they still want it all!

You guys, ladies and gentleman, the so called nobles, the so-called honourable citizens of the Republic have no totally forgotten your place and your reason for co-existing in the Republic. You might think that your above the people, the citizens, the one that you represent exist because of. Even if you think you exists and breathes eats and have pleasure because of President Yoweri Museveni, let’s be clear he is just using you!

I am not mad that you want to have air-conditioner in the North or the Eastern Building of the Parliament, it’s hot and you guys doesn’t want to turn into hot-air or Wokoloso. I know that, you want to peaceful creatures, which doesn’t kill Kasese or support arms for the rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo. You want to keep cool and be great support of the Republic.

I am furious over you wish to grand yourself 4 station wagons for whatever purpose of trading socks at Kololo Airstrip or having secretaries to drive some of you around on your shopping spree at Game or Garden City. That is all up to you and the use of the Station Wagons that you acquire to Parliament. You already have a massive fortune in Car money and doling it out when you started your terms as MPs because your official duty needs that the public offer you luxurious transport. Not take Taxis, Specials or boda-boda’s to Parliament Avenue, which is beneath you. You just like eating the monies of the public who would so!

I understand that the Parliament isn’t built for nor have the facilities for all the MPs now. Since you’re Executive, the chief of Rwakitura and the whole nation has let the nation sore with districts and parishes since his dire beginning of power in the 80s. It was nearly any districts when he entered the building as a Defence Minister under Dr. Milton Obote, now it is more than pages in the Kampala Eye and whatnot Tourist Information brochures that are delivered at Entebbe International Airport. Therefore the amount of MPs has soured with the amount of districts; a cow hasn’t been butchered as many ways the districts in Uganda has been during the last decades under Museveni.

So that the MPs needs office space and rebuild their accommodations is responsible acts of the Parliament, though costly because the share amount of MPs created under the President all of his terms. The MPs are in this one reacting with sense, but they should question the need for all of their services, even if it means giving up their wealthy new acquired lifestyle in the Capital.

What makes doesn’t make sense to me, in a nation where the state doesn’t have enough funds to allocate for the Presidential Jet or Helicopter of the farmer of Rwakitura. So when the current reflection of that in mind, the 10^th Parliament are allocating funds and finding ways of giving Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. Because these noble creatures and honourable minds needs to take into air and land wherever. Since their roles in Parliament is damn important that they need to follow the Presidential Jet and Helicopter that the State House cannot allocate enough funds too. So they can all stand still at the Helicopter Landing-sites in Kampala. At the Merry for the Kadaga and Oulanyah who dearly need them for their service of the country. They need to be mosquitos who can travel in the air and suck funds out the taxpayers coffers like the mosquito suck blood of their pray. If the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are lucky they will give the nation malaria as of the purchase and maintenance so the inflation keeps rising and the dwindling economy needs more debt to feed the fiscal imbalance of the state budget. The same state budget the Parliament allocated funds to their helicopters. Their needed helicopter that they will silence the MPs and show their way in Parliament; the Parliament will controlled by the waving wings of silence and the blood sucking drones the Speakers have become.

If you don’t understand the spending is of the chain, when the Mulago Hospital still lacks needed equipment, when other state institutions is depleted and civil servants not getting salaries. At that moment of time… the Speakers doesn’t need more perks, they need to be fiscal responsible and show the Executive just ways, since he is not caring about the Bank of Uganda’s hard work to stagger Inflation and the running debt rate. So when they are using public funds as their playground, these runs rapid wild in spending to be sure they can play all the cool games and be spoiled kids. That is what the Parliament and MPs are right now. Time to stop, rehash ideas and think of accountability, transparency and being fiscal responsible! Peace.

Written

By the Writer of this Blog!

Misappropriate funds instead of feeding the hungry in the districts; 10th Parliament greedy MPs only see their bellies and not that they represent the ones that are starving!

Something is just wrong, something is seriously wrong, as the misappropriated funds and public coffers in Uganda; there is something sinister going on. It is okay that a government and administration cannot make it rain or make sun shine, but they can make sure the people together with public gathering technics make sure when there is plenty of water. It’s in tanks and other barrels until needed for the crops and enough for drinking. This is practices mankind has done since the Roman Empire. It’s not spectacular, but convenient.

On the other hand, since Roman Time, there has always been corruption, and men has always been corrupted by gold, silver and sparkly things. So as the citizens are hungry, the starvation isn’t only in Isingiro, where the starvation is dangerously high, there are other districts severely hit by the draught and the lack of rain.

Hunger in the districts:

“Already, 1.3 million Ugandans, the minister said, need urgent food aid and so far, 600kgs of maize flour and 300 kilogrames of beans have been sent to Isingiro Districts where some people have starved to death” (…) “According to Mr Kibazanga, 65 per cent of people in Karamoja sub region have one meal or half a meal in a day as opposed to three meals while 35 per cent of the population in the districts of Katakwi, Amuria, Kumi, Bukedea, parts of Serere and Kaberamaido are in the same phase with Karamoja sub-region” (…) “Mr Kibazanga also revealed that 50 per cent of the people of Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Maracha, Arua, Zombo, Nebbi, Adjumani, Amuru, Nyoya, Gulu, Pader, Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago, Soroti, Ngora, Amolatar, Pallisa, Butaleja, Rakai, Isingiro and Tororo have access to a meal a day. The districts of Oyam, Apac, Kiryandongo, Masindi, Bulisa, Kyankwanzi, Nakaseke, Kiboga, Mubende, Luwero, Kyegegwa, Sembabule, Kiruhura, Lwengo, Ntugamo, Kamuli and Kibuuku are in a minimal phase of food insecurity, meaning the people can still afford all meals though stocks are running low” (Tajuba, 2016).

So when the Government knows about that and they continue with their inappropriate idea of giving new cars for the Members of Parliament, something that the 10^th Parliament MPs have been waiting for. It is in their duty and now getting a free-ride for their services; this they do while districts upon districts lack food and water, while they are starving… the reckless thieving of state coffers instead of supplying needed food from the budgets !

New Cars for the MPs:

“Parliament has received a release of Shs25 billion for payment of vehicle grant to members of parliament. The money will cater for at least 250 MPs out of 431. According to parliament’s director of communcations Chris Obore, the Parliamentary Commission will first pay new MPs. The new MPs to get first are those without election petitions in court. The old MPs will be paid when the Commission gets a new release. It emerged recently that each Member of Parliament will bag Shs200m instead of Shs150m as had earlier been budgeted by the Parliamentary Commission. This means Parliament will spend more than Shs85 billion on all the legislators” (the Insider, 2016).

As much as there are money in the system for unnecessary expenditure from the 10^th Parliament, that with no thought or consideration thinks about the consequences for the once they are supposed to represent. They apparently wish to become greedy like the former EX-MPs who we’re taken to court and charged with massive thieving, though where the money really went nobody knows. They surely pocketed some of it, but the where it we’re supposed to go, is not hard to know. Because the pay-outs we’re to ghosts, ghosts are invisible creatures not of the living.

Pension Scam:

“Anti Corruption Court in Kampala has found three former top employees of ministry of public service including Jimmy Lwamafa, the ex-permanent secretary guilty of all the ten charges slapped against them by the state.  Presiding judge, Lawrence Gidudu summarised in his ruling that the fraud to steal the Shs88.2 billion was hatched in the public service, smoothened in finance ministry and executed in Cairo bank where the money was finally paid out to ghost pensioners” (Ndagire & Wesaka, 2016).

So the living in the districts are either this days getting screwed by their own representatives of the 10^th Parliament, as they are more keen on perks and riches than helping the citizens they represent, that is what their President Museveni has been teaching for three decades now. So the people are starving and not getting valuable food or needed water for their daily life, while the MPs are riding in flash, posh cars in Kampala. That is happening while their predecessors are being detained for thieving from coffers to bail-out ghost pensioners, while the results of the matter are not told where the money went.

We can wonder since it is not told, that somebody did their bidding and stole the monies for the bigger plan of their President, and when they we’re not needed to do their service they gotten taken to court. That wouldn’t be surprising as that has happen before in the times udner the Executive Museveni. It’s just new names who done similar things in the past. The billions of shillings are levels of stealing while the hunger is running rapid is worrying; together with the wishes of lavish lifestyle by the men who supposed to represent them. Instead they represent themselves and not using their powers and reach to service the famine ridden districts, because they only see their own tummy. Peace.

Reference:

Ndagire, Betty & Wesaka, Anthony – ‘Court finds Lwamafa, Obey, Kunsa guilty of fraud’ (11.09.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-Lwamafa-Obey-pension-scam-Kunsa-guilty-fraud/688334-3448762-n2qb3oz/index.html

The Insider – ‘NEWS MPs receive Shs25 billion for cars’ (08.11.2016) link: http://www.theinsider.ug/mps-receive-shs25-billion-for-cars/#.WCindPnhDIU

Tajuba, Paul – ‘Millions of Ugandans in 45 districts starving, says govt’ (04.11.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Millions-of-Ugandans-in-45-districts-starving–says-govt/688334-3440478-8uj0buz/index.html

Statement to Parliament on the recent attacks in the districts Of Bundibugyo, Kasese and Ntokoro. (Thursday 10.07.2014)

Here is parts a statement with new information dropped to the Parliament and it should be interesting too thoose who has followed the skirmishes in Kasese and Bundibugyo.

(1)          Introduction

1.1       The right Honourable Speaker of Parliament and Hon Members of Parliament, our country on Saturday the 5^th July witnessed a very tragic and sad event that led to the death of at least 90 Ugandans in the districts of Bundibugyo, Kasese and Ntoroko.

1.2       I beg to move Madam Speaker that Parliament rises to observe a minute of silence in respect of these deceased Ugandans, I beg to move.

1.3       The characteristic  of the events that unfolded show that some people in our society still hold firm beliefs in witchcraft, can easily be duped into criminality and can be very callous  in causing death to their brothers and sisters.

 

(2)            The main characteristics and details of the attacks

2.1       The attacks took place on Saturday 5^th July between 2 PM and 4 pm in the districts of Bundibugyo, Kasese and Ntoroko

2.2       The main targets were police and army positions, wananchi in the case of Kasese, the palace of the ObundingyawaBwamba and stanbic bank in Bundibugyo

2.3       The attackers were mainly armed with spears,pangas sticks and some guns

2.4       The objectives were mainly to ,get guns and money.

 

(3)          The places attacked in each of the affected districts are; 

3.1       In Bundibugyo the places attacked included

(i)              Kanyamirima barracks – 5 kilometers from the town of Bundibugyo,

(ii)            Bundibugyo town where the stanbic bank and the palace of the OmundigyawaBwamba were key targets.

(iii)          Kirindi shrine

(iv)           Ntandi

(v)             Katumba

3.2       In the district of Ntoroko the attacks were at the trading centre of Kibuuku and  the police station in Karugutu town council.

3.3       While in Kasese, the places affected are:

(i)          a weighbridge opposite KCCL factory on the highway from Kasese to Bushenyi and

(ii)        The villages of Bigando and Ibuga.

 

(4)           The Table below summarises the estimates of the people killed as of Tuesday 8/7/2014.

(1)          Response to the crisis by Government

(a)            Early on Sunday 6^th the Inspector General of police and the Commander Land Forces UPDF moved into the area

(b)            The battalion commanding offices in Bundibugyo were already joined by the 305 brigade based in Hima, Kasese

(c)             I left Kampala on Sunday evening heading for Bundibugyo. My colleague the Hon Minister of Internal Affairs at the time we received the news of the attacks was in the Acholi sub region following the National ID registration but we kept in close touch over the issue.

(d)            The President and Commander in Chief has been kept briefed about the events and as Hon Members are aware, he has issued a preliminary statement on the tragic situation

(e)            I returned to Kampala on Tuesday night and yesterday morning I briefed the Cabinet and a good proportion of the time of Cabinet was spent discussing this tragedy and laying out strategies on how to prevent such tragedies in the future.

(f)              The deployments in the affected districts have been stepped up both by police and the army

(g)            The Inspector General’s  attention is now fully focused on the region and up to yesterday he was still in the region.

(h)            Intensive investigations are going on to find the basis of the attack and the leaders of this plan.

 

(2)          While in Bundibugyo, I held a number of meetings and interviews

7.1           I met the senior leadership of the army and police, made a courtesy call on the OmundingyaWaBwamba and interviewed the Deputy Prime Minister of the ObusingaBwaRwenzururu who had been taken in by the police and also with one of the women that was among those captured from the attackers.

7.2           I had a discussion with political leaders of the district of Bundibugyo led by the district chairperson and also met 10 elders of the Bakonzo people in Bundibugyo

7.3           The woman I met was about 35 years old. Her story was that she had been captured by the attackers on her way from her garden on Friday 4^th July i.e the day before the attacks of Saturday. Her brief history was that in 1997 when ADF attacked Bundibugyo she responded to the call by UPDF to join military training and she worked with the army for one year. However while working as LDU, she fell in love with a UPDF soldier and had a child with her in 2000. Thereafter the husband now was transferred to Gulu. In 2003 the husband defected from the army and returned with his wife and baby to Mbale where he hails from. She did not find life easy so she returned to her father’s home in Bundibugyo in 2006 and has since lived with the parents until she got involved in this attack.

7.4           When I asked her if she had seen a witch doctor before coming for the attack, she told me she refused to do so because this was satanic and her experience in Gulu had taught her that witchcraft does not protect one against bullets. She however indicated that inorder not to provoke her superiors she accepted to carry some stuff in her pocket which was meant to be protection against bullets. She revealed that while in the camp where she was taken on the Friday night she found about 150 other people.

7.5           The brief by the leaders in the camp was that the struggle was for liberation of the Bakonzo people from the Bamba oppression which was supported by the Central Government. They were told that the mission on Saturday was to get 2 things.

• guns from Kanyamirima barracks and the police
• money from stanbic bank

7.6           She further informed me that some of the people killed in the attack were from her village and she believed that these had been undergoing training during the day for at least a week in a place she did not know until that Friday night. On my asking, she told me the father’s name and that the father and sisters had mobile phones. And so I told her I wanted to ring the father. When the police brought me the phone the cell had died and so advised that it be charged. Subsequently I rang the father who collaborated her story in so far as the disappearance on Friday was concerned and her marriage to the UPDF soldier. He also revealed he had lost a son in the attack and until I rang him and informed him about the daughter he thought that she too had died.

7.7           This lady’s story collaborated what the soldiers had told me about the attackers having used witchcraft to protect themselves against bullets.

 

(3)          Let me now give some characteristics of the attacks in Kasese. What happened at Bigando was callous horrible and despicable to say the least.

• Bigando and Ibuga are two villages in Busongora North the constituency represented in this House by Hon William Nzoghu.
• on the fateful afternoon 11 civilians, including children were killed in cold blood.
• A soldier on leave was forced into his house,the house locked from outside and set on fire! and other people hacked to death by the attackers.
• As I have said this was callous, atrocious and heartless on the part of the attackers.
• We strongly condemn this and the Government is doing everything possible to find the culprits and bring them to book

 

(4)          Underlying factors

9.1         As I have clearly stated investigations are on and many people including the attackers who were captured alive are being interrogated.

9.2         I will therefore at this stage give the underlying factors operative in the Rwenzori region that will throw light on the causation of this tragedy.

9.3         First there is the matter of cultural institutions in the area. After the ObusingaBwaRwenzururu was recognized by the Government, the other ethnic groups in the place also called for recognition. Accordingly the Government recognized the cultural institution of the Bamba, the ObundingiyaBwaBamba.

9.4         In the meantime the Basongora and the Banyabindi in Kasese have also been calling for similar treatment. This has however not gone well with the ObusingaBwaRwenzururu. As the article in the news papers  has shown, the President has asked the OmusingawaRwenzururu to have a dialogue with the other ethnic groups in the Rwenzururu kingdom.

9.5         There is also the issue of the economy and land mainly in Kasese district. This has been longstanding matter which Government has been grappling with and of recent. Parliament appointed a select committee to follow up the issue. I am made to understand a report will soon be presented to the House.

9.6         The Basongora and Banyabindi in Kasese district have persistently talked about being marginalized in the district while the Bakonzo in Bundibugyo have also claimed marginalization  by the leadership in Bundibugyo.

9.7         The Government is aware of these grievances and is studying the matter carefully.

 

(5)          Conclusion

(i)            The tragic events of last weekend deserve the condemnation of right thinking people.

(ii)          In handling this tragedy, it is important that we separate issues. In particular I have in mind the criminally minded people who hatched this plan and therefore take responsibility for the deaths that occurred. Then there is the persisting belief in witchcraft on the part of some of our people in the country. To have a situation in the country where people still think that witchcraft can protect them from bullets and therefore  daringly attack an army barracks,is a clear indication of the long road we still have to travel to achieve socio-economic transformation.

(iii)         As I have said Government strongly condemns the attacks that took place in the Rwenzori region and is taking every step possible to calm the situation, thoroughly have the matter investigated with the view to bringing culprits to book in accordance with the law of the land.

(iv)         The intelligence failure that occurred in this particular situation is being rectified.

(v)          In the meantime Government is carefully studying the grievances as outlined in this statement.

(vi)         I thank you Madam Speaker and Hon members of Parliament for the attention you have given to this statement.