By CHIMPREPORTS
Uganda’s Parliament reportedly allocated nearly Shs 600 million to cover the expenses of Speaker Anita Among and her spouse, Moses Magogo, for a holiday.
Leaked information reveals that Parliament disbursed Shs 499 million to Speaker Among, the Bukedea Woman MP, while Budiope East lawmaker, Magogo, received Shs 49 million. The transactions, dated January 29, 2024, are recorded in Parliament’s records as ‘payment of per diem (for both Among and Magogo) to Nairobi – Kenya for official leave.’
When questioned about the matter, Speaker Among stated, “Travelling with my spouse is my entitlement.”
Contrary to the official records, reports suggest that the couple did not travel to Nairobi for the annual leave.
Sources indicate that Among’s last recorded trip was in August of the previous year when she met Pope Francis in Rome, Italy.
When confronted with claims that she didn’t undertake the supposed trip despite receiving substantial per diem amounts, Among dismissed the allegations, stating, “Those are haters.”
This development arises amidst the government’s call for taxpayers to exercise financial restraint in the challenging economic climate.
President Museveni, in the previous year, directed the government to cease foreign travel to prevent the squandering of public funds. During the commissioning of facilities at Uganda Petroleum Institute-Kigumba (UPIK) in March 2023, Museveni emphasized, “Tell the civil servants, the MPs, and all politicians to stop traveling abroad. Money is wasted on external travel, and here Kigumba is crying for money. This is really poor planning.”
It is noteworthy that the budget for the office of the Speaker of Parliament for the current financial year (2024/25) stands at Shs 13.1 billion. Speaker Among also has a donations budget of Shs 2.4 billion, and her per diem is set at $4,000 per day. She is entitled to paid official leave abroad with her spouse for 60 days in a year, with the taxpayer covering the cost of business-class tickets and the per diem rate for those days.
Furthermore, her fuel budget amounts to over Shs 800 million annually. The budgetary allocation includes Shs 1 billion for adverts and public relations, Shs 70 million for workshops, Shs 495 million for staff training, Shs 547.2 million for welfare and entertainment, Shs 16.8 million for ICT services, Shs 9.6 million for property management, Shs 143.1 million for bedding, clothes, and footwear, Shs 1.34 billion for inland travel, and Shs 5.3 billion for travel abroad.
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