Legislators deny split on sh6om car money

Members of Parliament have denied that they are divided over the sh60m they want for cars.

By Mary Karugaba and Apollo Mubiru

Members of Parliament have denied that they are divided over the sh60m they want for cars.

“There is no division. All MPs, including ministers who already have government vehicles, support the idea of facilitation,” said Dr. Sam Lyomoki, the chairperson of the committee handling the demand.

The MPs were yesterday reacting to press reports that over 113 NRM MPs had written to President Yoweri Museveni denouncing the car scheme. The MPs termed the reports as ‘blackmail and arm twisting tactics’.

The reports had indicated that some MPs had requested the President to summon NRM’s highest decision making organs; the Central Executive Committee and the National Executive Committee, to resolve the thorny issue.

The over 15 MPs who represented the ‘caucus of the whole House’, described the list of members purportedly opposing the car fund as ‘a ghost’ list intended to cause division among them.

Lyomoki added: “No single MP has so far come up to talk against our demand. We are very solid and we are not going to be shaken.”

The MPs argued that those portraying them before the public as ‘hyenas and selfish’ were failures who did not make it to Parliament.

Their spokesperson, Chris Baryomunsi, said the sh60m was suggested by the Parliamentary Commission and discussed in the NRM caucus.

He argued that their electorates were backing them.

MPs Henry Banyezaki, Elijah Okupa, David Bahati, Justine Lumumba, Otto Odonga, James Kakooza, Emmanuel Dombo and Guma Gumisiriza attended the briefing at Parliament.