Among’s home fete: Was it show of power or wealth?

Yesterday, Ms Among also hosted the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to a mammoth crowd ahead of a two-days baraza (meeting), in which the latter is scheduled to address the people of Teso Sub-region in Soroti City.

Gen Muhoozi, a serving army officer, who has defied the laws of the land, including the UPDF Act that bars serving army officers from engaging in partisan politics, has openly declared his intention to contest for presidency come 2026.

However, the Bukedea celebrations have generated a wave of criticism from a cross section of the population at a time when the economy is on its knees.

Critics observe that local council leaders, including those from her own district have gone for years without receiving their ex gratia and honoraria, while medical interns have spent a year home because government does not have money to deploy them.

Timing

Commenting about the Speaker’s event, Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, a Ugandan epidemiologist and the executive director of the African Population and Health Research Centre, said Ms Among hosted a pomp party at the expense of health service delivery among the electorate.

“A Speaker builds a mansion in the midst of grinding poverty and poor health services. Many are defending her that she used her money. The question is where do the country’s priorities lie? A Speaker is so well remunerated and can afford the mansion while her people and health services suffer!” she tweeted .

However, Mr Chris Obore, the director of communications at Parliament, was quick to dismiss this, saying the money the Speaker spent to host guests at her home wasn’t from the consolidated account.

“Hosting and welcoming people is part and parcel of Anita’s life, even when she wasn’t Woman MP and her father’s home is generally known in Bukedea for hosting people to food and drinks. The function was not about the unveiling of the house, which in fact is not complete, but it was about the Speaker’s spiritual and emotional connection to her departed parents,” Mr Obore said.

“It’s unfortunate that everything leaders do is associated with taxpayers’ money. However, taxpayers’ money is not for picking, but has strict procedures of expenditure only authourised by accounting officers and no accounting officer can just release money for politicians to build personal houses,” he added.

To Yusuf Sserunkuma, a social and political commentator, the story relates to what Okot p’ Bitek said many years ago.

He said hosting the party is a clear indication that “those who have fallen into things” will always enjoy while the rest wallow in poverty.

“And when they have fallen into things/they eat meat from the chests of bulls/their wives grow large buttocks...while the voters sleep on the same earth, they slept before Uhuru. How would Okot p’ Bitek phrase lines about husbands whose women have “fallen in things”? Anyone?” he questioned.

Prof Venansius Baryamureeba, the former Makerere University vice chancellor and a former presidential candidate, made reference to the former Speakers. He said they did not have the luxury of hosting such grand parties to ‘thank God.’

He also made cryptic reference, especially to Prof Gilbert Bukenya, who at one time allegedly started mimicking the President.

“Has Rt Anita Among consulted Rt Hon Kadaga or VP Prof Bukenya on the implications of gathering more than 100 MPs outside Parliament without looking up in the sky and asking for consent? I said it then and I am not surprised that Hon Persis Namuganza is still minister. In the revolutionary State, you don’t use your position for your own bidding unless the supreme revolutionary has given a go ahead,” he said.

IGG factor

Prof Baryamureeba also wondered whether the IGG is still carrying out lifestyle audit in reference to the lifestyle of leaders who live larger than their known sources of incomes.

Ms Beti Kamya, the IGG, has been vocal on lifestyle audit which she said is the only way to catch corrupt government and public officials.

“Is IGG Kamya still doing a lifestyle audit? Uganda leaders are not leading by example in the fight against corruption. If Magufuli had another life, I would vote for him to be President of Uganda. In God, we Trust and for God and my Country,” he said.

Dr Sarah Bireete, a founding partner and executive director of Centre for Constitutional Governance, wondered how a person charged with responsibilities of superintending over legislation in the country proudly hosts a serving army general to carry out open partisan political campaigns.

“She is charged with the duty of protecting the Constitution and democratic governance. She is campaigning for a serving army general who is prohibited by the Constitution from politicking,” she said.

‘Thanksgiving’

Mr Ivan Bwowe, a lawyer and policy analyst, said it is okay to organise a thanksgiving ceremony in any form or shape, especially if one has something he or she has achieved.

He, however, said the perception that the party is using taxpayers’ money cannot be entirely kept away.

“Concerning the public criticism of the house, people should only be concerned if it was constructed using public funds, but if it was built using private funding, then there is no problem with it.

“The general public perception of public servants is that they steal from the government treasures and use that taxpayer’s money to aid their private lives and that is why some things that seem ordinary such as owning a house are being misinterpreted by the masses,” he said.

Parliament VIEW           

      Mr Obore said the Speaker was thanking God and her family for bringing her this far after losing her mother at an early stage in life and her father after she became an MP.

     He said Parliament staff were not compelled to attend and the function was a private arrangement that didn’t cost Parliament any penny.

“Anita is never a private and secretive person in life. The way she relates with people is on the basis of being free and open with whatever blessing comes her way just like she is a free giver. If her predecessors were secretive and not givers, that is their way of life,” he said.