M7 Grills Speaker Among, Deputy Tayebwa and Budget Committee Boss Isiagi Over Unfair Projects Distribution In Shs.48.1tn Budget…Published 2 hours ago on June 3, 2022By Grapevine News L-R: President Yoweri Museveni, D/Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and Speaker Anita Among
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday morning summoned Annet Anita Among, the Speaker of parliament and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa, Patrick Opolot Isiagi , the chairperson of the parliamentary budget committee and other committee members over unfair project distribution in the Shs48.1tn 2022-23 national budget.
The summoning followed an intelligence brief and media reports that top government officials and Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit on the budget committee both from the ruling party (NRM) and the opposition used their influence to favor projects in their constituents and home districts during the budget allocation.
Credible sources in State House intimated to the Grapevine that Museveni was very bitter upon learning that speaker Among did nothing to stop the practice even though her office was petitioned and asked to investigate the matter before the budget committee tabled their final report on the floor of parliament.
Sources stated that Museveni asked Isiagi to defend himself on the overwhelming evidence that he declined to take advice from the Ministry of Finance technocrats, and experts from the National Planning Authority on the way project allocation was supposed to be done.
Museveni accused members on the budget committee of pressuring the technocrats and threatening them if they insist on fighting the way projects were allocated in the national budget.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday morning summoned Annet Anita Among, the Speaker of parliament and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa, Patrick Opolot Isiagi , the chairperson of the parliamentary budget committee and other committee members over unfair project distribution in the Shs48.1tn 2022-23 national budget.
The summoning followed an intelligence brief and media reports that top government officials and Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit on the budget committee both from the ruling party (NRM) and the opposition used their influence to favor projects in their constituents and home districts during the budget allocation.
Museveni accused members on the budget committee of pressuring the technocrats and threatening them if they insist on fighting the way projects were allocated in the national budget.
Most of the projects which were accommodated in this year’s budget, based on Human Capital Development programmes like health, education and gender were from Western Uganda, Eastern Uganda and Buganda but were last on the list of beneficiaries.
Sources in State House said that Museveni wondered why more than 10 projects were allocated to Bududa district alone. He cited influence peddling from Manjiya Member of Parliament (MP) John Baptist Nambeshe.
Sources said that speaker Among and her team failed to give convincing answers to Museveni’s tough questions which forced him to put a halt on the questioned projects until the matter is well investigated.
They include; Mpanga Muslim Secondary School, Gombe Secondary school, Nganwa High School, Kabira Secondary School, Kolir Comprehensive Secondary School, Kabwohe Health Centre, Kasambya Quran Secondary School, St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, Kihihi Health Centre, St. Paul Kacwamango Primary School, Kabbo Seed Secondary School, Aminit High School, Rwoburunga Secondary School, Kyeshero Vocational Secondary School, Kyogo Community Primary School, Kanyashande Primary School, Kazinga Primary School, Rushaka primary scvhool, Kihihi Community Secondary school, Aloi Health Centre IV, Rukungiri Health Centre IV among others.
A bitter Museveni warned Among to stop being unpatriotic and stop thinking that Uganda stops in their constituencies.
Kasambya county MP David Kabanda was the first to complain on how top government officials influenced project distribution in the national budget.
Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, who is also a member of the budget committee revealed that during the committee retreat at Entebbe, they tasked the chairperson to avail them a list of schools and health centers which were given funds in the budget but he refused.
He further explained that they disagreed with Isiagi’s report and wrote their minority report which was signed by him and Mawogola county MP Gorreth Namugga.
When contacted, Nambeshe, who is also the opposition Chief Whip told theGrapevine that even the ten projects given to his area are not enough for his people.
He said that Museveni cited him as one of the people who influenced the unfair project allocation because he is in the opposition.
The budget is expected to be read in two weeks’ time after the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Posts
0 Comments