For over a year now, the World has been struggling with Covid-19 and its associated effects. Economies the world over are struggling, and many countries have undertaken measures meant to stimulate the economy and to preserve the dignity of their citizens. In Uganda, millions of Ugandans have lost their livelihoods. In our neighborhoods, we see people starving, we see families being evicted due to rent, and domestic violence has increased. The news of Members of Parliament receiving 200,000,000 shillings was therefore shocking to many Ugandans.
One is tempted to think that the lockdown was meant for only poor people! Their small shops remain closed while the businesses owned by the affluent Ugandans continue to operate. Poor people who use public transport are unable to go to work while the rich have travel permits. While many hopeless Ugandans continue to wait for the paltry 100,000 shillings promised by the Prime Minister for Covid-19 relief the MPs are rewarded with vehicles worth 200,000,000 shillings each! This is enough money to feed at least 2000 families!
Whereas poor people have been forced to make changes in their lifestyle, including foregoing meals, our leaders continue to act like all is well! As if this is not enough, the government has continued to undertake measures that will push thousands of citizens further below the poverty line. For example, the 12% tax on internet data and the 30% rental tax, are evidence of a government that has lost touch with its people. One wonders whether our leaders have hearts!
The Alliance for National Transformation believes that Uganda will only get transformed when it gets servant leaders, who seek to serve the country and do not see leadership as an opportunity to milk the country.
Just the other day, President Uhuru Kenyatta officiated the opening of 5 hospitals constructed during this pandemic aimed at ensuring that whoever needs medical support is able to receive it. Back home, the government opted to hire (read that again – hire) tents at 1 billion shillings (Observer, 9th May 2021).
Some of people have tried to “sanitize” the 200M by saying that MPs are currently engaged in providing services to their constituents and so the money is justified. We find this whitewashing of greed and bad governance unacceptable. Members of Parliament have a mandate to budget for the country and provide oversight on the executive. Engaging in service provision compromises their ability to provide oversight and creates undue expectations from their constituents. It is these actions that continue to make people run to MPs with all kinds of financial requests.
We call upon government to fund health sector’s priority areas such as PPEs, oxygen, health workers’ salaries, and drugs, among others. The 200M per MP is sufficient to equip a Health Centre IV, and guarantee quality health care for all. Better still, why don’t we use the Shs105b or $29.8 million meant to purchase cars for MPs and ex-officios to buy vaccines, and then lift the lockdown? An analysis by the Daily Monitor on the 24th of July revealed that Shs 105b is enough to buy 7.5 million AstraZeneca vaccines!
By Titus Tumusiime
Member of ANT.