Reports reaching us have shed light on why President Museveni was dissatisfied with the provisions of the Sugar Bill Parliament previously passed. That part of the reason he is angry is to do with the reports he got to the effect that some political leaders and legislators got financial gratifications to legislate the way they did. The big man has intelligence reports showing that some of the less significant players in the sugar industry ganged up against the more capacitated larger giants and put together some good amount of money which was given to some MPs as sweeteners. It’s said that one of the MPs from the sugar cane growing areas picked Shs300m from one of the interested parties (an upcoming sugar producer) claiming part of it was meant to wet the beak of one of the big officials in Kampala who has big influence on legislators. On picking the money, the legislator (who wasn’t aware he was being recorded) feigned sickness, switched off phones and flew out of the country.
Two other female MPs (one a former Jinja area banker now in 1st term & another former ministerial nominee now in 2nd term) collected much more claiming it was to be distributed to colleagues who ended up getting much less. This led to quarrels and counter accusations and that is how Museveni’s intelligence boys picked the intel and passed it on to him. “He rung the implicated MPs and told them he was going to verify these reports and he has since established it was true and the concerned MPs are not sleeping anymore because they might have to be required to refund the money which they expended long time ago.” The matter has become so controversial (with potential to distort the sugar industry) that Museveni on Tuesday convened a caucus meeting during which he popularized his views why the bill must be revisited and some provisions altered before he can sign it into law. (For comments, email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
