Nyabushozi MP Col. Fred Mwesigye Returns COVID-19 Money, Says Parliament Smuggled in 10Bn

The Nyabushozi county Member of Parliament, Rt. Col. Fred Mwesigye, who was among the pioneer National Resistance Army fighters, has returned the Shs 20m given to legislators for COVID-19 fight.

Col. Mwesigye in a short statement said he supported the facilitation of MPs but disagreed with the process through which the money was passed.

“True to my word, I returned the money (Shs 20m) to Bank of Uganda Parliamentary Commission Account,” said Mwesigye.

The MP added that the Shs 10bn was smuggled into the Shs 304bn COVID-19 supplementary.

“Whereas I support that Members of Parliament should be facilitated to join the war against COVID-19, I disagree with the way that money was smuggled to the budget. If it had come from the Parliamentary Commission, I wouldn’t have had a problem,” said Mwesigye.

Mwesigye becomes the 4^th MP to return the money that Parliament maintains is to facilitate MPs in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

The first legislator to return the money was Mathias Mpuuga of Masaka municipality on Thursday morning followed by Robert Kyagulanyi of Kyadondo East and Butambala county’s Muwanga Kivumbi.

Other MPs including Chief Opposition Whip, Semujju Nganda have said there is nothing wrong with facilitating MPs at this time when their constituents are starving and looking up to them.

The Buteleja county MP, Eng. James Waluswaka he would be mad to return the money when his people are starving.

He reasoned that the people of Kampala Metropolitan region (Kampala, Wakiso and Mpigi) are already getting relief food and people from other parts of the country also need it.

High Court on Tuesday blocked the disbursement or use of the said money. It has emerged the order came out when the money had already been given out.

A statement released by the Clerk, a day after ChimpReports broke the story, said the money is allocated in fulfillment of a constitutional duty.

“It is important to note, that the Constitution of Uganda, under Article 164(3) gives Parliament the mandate to oversee/monitor expenditure of all public funds. As such after the approval of the Supplementary of Ushs 304 billion, it was only automatic that oversight is provided because the large amount of funds are to be expended in a short span of time,” said part of the statement.