By Zacharia Kanyonyozi
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
The talk in political (and apolitical circles) in Uganda has it that the leader of the biggest opposition party, National Unity Platform (NUP), and much beloved thorn in Dictator Museveni’s side, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, is warring with former Leader of the Opposition in parliament, Mr. Mathias Mpuuga.
Always one to fish in troubled waters, former Member of Parliament for Aruu North County, Samuel Odonga Otto, has criticized Mr. Kyagulanyi for “accusing” Mpuuga of financial impropriety.
The NUP leadership recently called for the resignation of Mpuuga, who serves as the party’s deputy president in the Buganda region.
The call for Mpuuga’s resignation was made in response to allegations of corruption and abuse of office. However, Mpuuga rejected the claims, denying any fraudulent receipt of a Shs500 million ‘service award’ from Parliament.
However, Otto dismissed Kyagulanyi’s accusations against Mpuuga as mere cheap politics, emphasizing that the law allows the parliamentary commission to determine the salary and benefits of MPs, including those of the Leader of the Opposition.
“Anyone who claims Mathias Mpuuga is corrupt and should resign is being unfair and unqualified not only to be the president of this country but even to be a head prefect because they lack knowledge of the law,” he said.
This attack on Mr. Kyagulanyi is a red herring, orchestrated by Dictator Museveni and perpetrated by Otto.
In a country where the members of parliament (MPs) earn more than their keep, Otto’s attacks amount to the diversionary.
Look, behind door Number One, the Speaker of Parliament earns Shs500 million per month
And, behind door Number Two, an MP takes home a net monthly salary of Shs6.1m in addition to a smorgasbord of allowances: housing (Shs6.5m), constituency support (Shs17.03m), town running (Shs1.945m), car grant of Shs200m per MP, a free iPad, Shs50,000 allowance for attending committee sessions, a funeral package, family health insurance cover, allowance for travel abroad – $700 per diem (about Shs2.5m) and that of travel inland of Shs450,000 per diem which all adds up to more than Shs11.425b per a month, which translates to Shs137.1b a year in salaries and allowances alone.
This, of course, is minus the bribes and kickbacks from Dictator Museveni in the shape of “Service Awards” and other payoffs which run in the billions.
Instead of Otto focusing on the scale and cost of a rubber stamp parliament, especially in a country than can barely pay its health workers, teachers and agriculturists, he chooses to attack the one man who can change this status quo.
Let us also recall that agriculture contributes about 24.01 percent to the Gross Domestic Product of Uganda, 26.77 percent comes from the industry, and 41.65 percent from the services sector.
How much does parliament contribute to the national fiscus?
Well, nothing but costs saddled on the long suffering Ugandan taxpayer.
Otto needs to get his priorities straight or we shall start believing that “Lady Macbeth” Janet Kataaha Museveni supported Mr Otto against former Sports Minister Alfred Omony Ogaba for the Aruu seat in 2001.
And we shall recall how the late Aggrey Awori, then MP Samia Bugwe North, accused Otto of being in bed with the Museveni Junta.
Otto, now out of parliament, should be campaigning for a reduced parliament and a better deal for Ugandans when it comes to governance, but we all know that he is lobbying the Dictator Museveni for another bribe instead.
“If I were the Minister for Sports in Uganda, I would take Uganda to AFCON and the World Cup. I know what to do and that is what I studied in Spain-Real Madrid,” Otto said months ago, after completing a masters in International sports from a one Real Madrid Graduate School-Universidad Europea.
Mr. Kyagulanyi’s position is clear: we are fighting a dictator and you must choose a side during this moral crisis.
If, like Otto and Mpuuga, you choose the side of the dictator, you shall be exposed, defeated and dumped in history’s wastepaper basket. However, if you choose change, then Uganda will rise phoenix-like from the ashes of Museveni misrule.
