By Zacharia Kanyonyozi
Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons
As we approach Martyrs Day in Uganda on June 3rd, we are reminded of the Bible.
In Mark 8:36 of the Holy Book, King James Version, it is stated: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
On that note, the State Minister for Housing, Ms. Persis Namuganza, has appended her signature on the motion seeking to censure four Commissioners of Parliament. Three are from the dictatorship’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and one a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) of the legitimately elected president Bobi Wine.
The censure motion moved by Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo (National Resistance Movement-NRM) is seeking the removal of Esther Afoyochan (Zombo District Woman – NRM), Prossy Akampulira (Rubanda District Woman – NRM), Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central – NRM) and Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo-Mukungwe – NUP) from their positions as members of the Parliamentary Commission.
The four MPs are accused of awarding themselves between Shs400 million and Shs500 million “service awards”, and a monthly salary of Shs23 million, on top of their emoluments as MPs, without seeking Parliament’s approval.
Now, let us get this straight: the only reason our rubber stamp parliament is up in arms regarding these so called Service Awards is because they did not “eat” the money themselves. Their righteous indignation is thus a figment of their unimaginative attempts to be patriotic.
To be sure, they are toys of Dictator Yoweri Museveni. He has deliberately impoverished the MPs and so they cannot possibly take an independent line of thought. This is why Mpuuga and Co. took those Dictator Museveni bribes, they needed the money.
We know that they are Dictator Museveni’s bribes because, as Otto von Bismarck said, “Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.” And Dictator Museveni officially denied, by writing the following: “How can Parliamentary Commissioners, who apparently earn more than other MPs award themselves all that money? What special services did they provide? Who approved the awards? I am told that it was never discussed by Parliament or the Committee on Legal Affairs. Find out. When we are struggling to find money for roads, electricity, and other sectors that bring value into our economy?”
Mpuuga should never have traded his soul for the 30 pieces of silver rebranded as “Service Awards.” Because when you sup with the Devil, prepare for indigestion.
I don’t blame the Speaker for dishing out the bribe, however.
And here’s why.
The German Dictator Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and, once in office, his public persona as the Führer (leader) tacitly allowed government officials to take initiative on their own to help the nation realize the values Hitler expressed.
This system was called “working toward the Führer”. In Uganda’s case, then, it may be called working toward Dictator Museveni.
In the past, Dictator Museveni has gone on record defending corruption with the proviso that the stolen public money be invested in Uganda.
We can ignore the fact that he was also encouraging money laundering!
This history of indiscretions gave Junta lackeys latitude to interpret his stance on corruption.
Consequently, the Speaker gave Mathius Mpuuga 500 million shillings in interpretation of Dictator Museveni’s known stance on corruption.
After all, we have all witnessed MPs being bribed in and between the aisles of parliament. That is why the Speaker felt that the Service Award was no big deal and par for the course of parliamentary, nay, Dictator Museveni’s politics. This scheme was even better because the dictatorship would be able to create friction within the NUP opposition party by ensnaring one of its members Mpuuga in their filth.
Dictator Museveni’s blessing or knowledge of this bribe thus did not have to be explicit. His implicit approval or knowledge of it is based on the fact that his political system encourages such corruption.
Whether Dictator Museveni claims to support such a system or not is immaterial. What must be acknowledged is that his previous actions acquiesce to it.
MPs have been bribed so much by his Junta that they should wear “For Sale” signs and be done with it.
Still, the buck, as Harry Truman would say, stops with Dictator Museveni.
In the same way we blamed Idi Amin for what happened on his watch, we must blame this latest corruption scandal and all the previous ones on Dictator Museveni.
