Bobi bribery claim rattles Parliament
Speaker Anita Among chairs the plenary on December 13, 2023. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The Speaker denies the claims tasking members to raise any such concerns in the House instead of going to the media.
The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, yesterday told off Opposition National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi over allegations of bribing MPs with Shs100m to pass the supplementary budget.
Ms Among instead accused Mr Kyagulanyi of getting money from the gay community to sell off the country.
“Honourable members, there was an allegation which did not go well with some of us and as the leader of this House, the allegations that are not substantiated are not good,” she said.
“It came to my attention that some individuals or group of members went maligning this House that we gave Shs100m or about to give, whichever, as a bribe. I am asking, bribing you for what? I want to request that before you come up with such an allegation, you must be able to substantiate. This is the forum where you should come and talk. You go to the media and you start talking about all that. If you are covering your dirt on homosexuality, ...don’t use this House to cover [it],” she added.
The Shs3.5 trillion supplementary budget, which was passed last week will cater for salaries, ongoing engineering works and other recurrent costs.
The Speaker’s remarks come after Mr Kyagulanyi told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday that the government in a calculated behind-the scenes move pumped Shs55b into the supplementary budget and out of this addendum, each MP would receive Shs100m following its passing.
In the budget, the State House and the Office of the President were allocated Shs311b, making them the largest individual recipients among government entities benefitting the budget.
Ms Among said the allegations were meant to disrupt the discussions surrounding homosexuality.
“You cannot say you are bribing, bribing you for what? We have come here to do work, we are a people-centred Parliament,” she said.
Several legislators this publication spoke to denied knowledge of the said money, wondering how the rumour originated. “I have no idea about that money nor have I received it. I cannot speak on what I don’t know neither did I see it in the supplementary that was passed. The entities that were to receive funds are known and I don’t recall passing any supplementary budget for parliament. Let those who allege furnish you with details,” Ms Sarah Opendi (Tororo Woman, NRM) said.
Mr Eddie Kwizera Wa-Gahungu (Bukimbiri County, NRM) wondered whether MPs should be listening to the issue when there is no evidence to the effect. Mr Nathan Byanyima (Bukanga North County, NRM) also called for evidence.
“One time, in 1998, a Member of Parliament, a minister, made an allegation on one of the members. He was suspended and we put a bar there, to make him go and apologise. This is what this is coming to...because for someone to talk of money issues, that one should not be a Member of Parliament, not even a political head,” Mr Byanyima said.
Ms Lucy Akello (Amuru Woman, FDC) and Paulson Luttamaguzi (Nakaseke, DP) also respectively denied the bribery allegations.
“I am not even aware of that money,” Akello responded via a WhattsApp message.
Mr Luttamaguzi said: “Asking me to share money I have not received hurts me. We need any kind of allegation that is levelled against Parliament to be cleared.”
Several NUP members that Monitor contacted could not respond to our repeated calls nor reply to our text messages.
