20110423
the monitor

With no quorum in the House on Thursday evening, Speaker Edward Ssekandi was forced to adjourn proceedings on a Shs1.5 trillion supplementary budget which seeks monies for fighter jets, and the swearing-in of President Museveni among others. Opposition legislators had put up a spirited fight to have most of the money in the budget cut, citing poor spending methods of the NRM and misplaced priorities at a time when Ugandans are suffering.

Low turn-up

The low turn-up in the House prompted Mr Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) to warn the Speaker that he would raise matters of quorum when it comes to passing the budget. This forced the Speaker to adjourn the sittind to next Tuesday. Earlier, lawmakers one after the other condemned government over its lavish spending. "I will not be part of such spending and if Mr Speaker you put a question, I will raise with you matters of quorum because we need numbers to pass such a spending," Mr Mafabi said.

The House had less than 50 MPs in attendance.

Most of the opposition MPs questioned the Shs2.8 billion, the budget committee allocated to cater for President Museveni's swearing-in ceremony and the Shs1.3 trillion meant for buying fighter jets and other military hardware. "Let us leave these things to government after all they have already used the money. We shouldn't be used as a rubber stamp because we shall certainly answer in future," Mr Mafabi added.

"From today onwards, let all Ugandans stop following the law because everyone including the executive has broken it."

Mr Mafabi explained that he had checked government accounts at Bank of Uganda and did not find the said Shs414 billion which Mr Museveni said he had withdrawn from BoU and already paid for the jets.

Other MPs also questioned why a one-day ceremony could take Shs2.8 billion yet the previous three public holidays in the President's Office had spent only Shs295 million for the three days.

"What is the impact of the draw down from BoU, yet we only used Shs295 million for three days? What is special on the swearing day?" said Elijah Okupa (Kasilo).

Ferrying voters

"I know you will ferry voters from everywhere in the country and the poor voters will eat as if eating will stop that day," said Ms Florence Ibi Ekwau (Kaberamaido)

"You have made the budget process very hopeless."

The Minister for Defence, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, however, defended the jets deal by naming the threats Uganda faces like al-Shabaab and also said because the spending is classified, such transactions could not be brought to Parliament at the time. "In his 1986 oath at Parliament, President Museveni said the problem of Africa was because of leaders who over stayed in power and lived a lavish lifestyles and now in 2011, he says the Shs3 billion for swearing-in is mere peanuts, is this the fundamental change?" said Ms Alice Alaso (Soroti)The supplementary budget also entails Shs92 billion for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for the Mutundwe Aggreko Thermal power plant and another Shs56.5 billion for the Ministry of Public Service for the payment of pensions.