Opposition MPs given ultimatum to come clean on sh100m

_________________

Opposition lawmakers have been given an ultimatum to declare whether they recently received a controversial sh100 million payout—or face public backlash.

Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (NUP), representing the substantive Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi, issued the directive during a press conference at Parliament on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

Kivumbi revealed that the opposition had agreed to draft a declaration form for colleagues who did not receive a single coin, which would later be made public. He urged those who took the money to return what he described as "bad money."

“This money is for two purposes. It was negotiated during the Coffee Amendment Bill, and it is also intended to sweeten up the passing of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill before Parliament. It is the highest form of betrayal by a legislator to transact for purposes of passing legislation, and we condemn it,” he said.

“However, if you want to exonerate yourself, then my friend, brother, sister, colleague, you are going to be encouraged to sign this resolution. If you don’t, then you are with them. It is high time people take a side—are you with them or us and the people of Uganda? For those who have taken and want to sign, first return the money, then you sign,” Kivumbi added.

The Butambala County lawmaker, who is serving his third term as MP, alleged that this payout is a continuation of previous schemes in which MPs were bribed with sh5 million and sh20 million to scrap the term and age limits, respectively.

The payout, Kivumbi alleges, was drawn from the classified expenditure in the sh4.2 trillion supplementary budget approved by Parliament last month.

“This classified account and the manner in which we pass supplementaries is a testimony to the abuse that is occurring in this Parliament,” he lamented.

To avoid such scenarios, Kivumbi challenged the leadership of Parliament to always accord members ample time to scrutinise these classified budgets.

A Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) lawmaker, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed he stumbled upon fellow MPs on April 7, 2025, around 8:00 pm as they arrived to collect the cash.

However, Chris Obore, Parliament’s corporate and public affairs director, has since dismissed the allegations as false.

“Ignore rumours that MPs have been paid sh100m for passing the Coffee Bill. Whoever is alleging should respect the public by providing evidence other than propaganda. MPs receive statutory payments through the Clerk to Parliament and by way of a payslip. The rest is recycled propaganda,” Obore recently posted on X (formerly Twitter).