By Mulengera Reporters
During his Tuesday media engagement in Kampala, a journalist from Mulengera News asked DP President Norbert Mao about the Shs100bn cash facilitation President Museveni, in his capacity as NRM national chairman, gave to each and every MP who was at Kyankwanzi ostensibly to enable them circumvent financial problems as they count down to their swearing-in event next month.
The journalist, Aggrey Baba, demanded to know if Mao, who was at Kyankwanzi too for the first time, had got his share and what he generally thought about the money.
In his response, Mao said he hadn’t yet got anything adding that he was unsure if he was entitled to the money or not since the giver made it clear it was meant for MPs from his NRM party and the affiliated independents. He doesn’t belong to any of these and was at Kyankwanzi in the designation of special guest of the President.
“But I’m going to give a call to the Secretary General [Richard Todwong] to inquire and understand my status whether I qualify for the money or not.” Then Mao went on to explain why he thinks Gen Museveni gave each MP that money.
He said the President was aware that MPs trend to be very broke and financially vulnerable in those four months between their election in January and May when they take oath and begin being entitled to the monthly salary.
Mao said this is what had made many of them vulnerable to the extent of being manipulated with just Shs2m by one of his opponents who requires them to record and widely circulate videos of themselves individually declaring support for that Speakership contender.
“It’s actually very dehumanizing because the videos have to be shared [with that person] to approve them before the maker of the video being cleared to release and circulate it.” Mao said the Shs2m is only given after the video has been released and made to reach many people for impact. He said those who are more senior and capable of more influence are given up to Shs20m but they are always subjected to similar humiliation.
He revealed that Gen Museveni gave out the Shs100m to diminish on the new MPs’ financial pressures so that they aren’t easily compromised or manipulated by actors in the ‘dirty money universe.’ Mao added that the President wants MPs to freely form their opinion on who to elect for Speakership as opposed to being induced by money.
Mao added that by giving out the money in the manner he gave it, while publicly proclaiming the same himself, Museveni intended to demystify some individuals at Parliament who had succeeded in portraying themselves as the only source of solutions to individual MPs’ financial problems. That by also personally announcing his own offer, Museveni wanted to avoid a situation where some Speakership contenders deceive MPs that it’s them who lobbied him to give that windfall.
All in all, Mao said that Gen Museveni’s money served a very good purpose in that it amounted to further levelling of the ground so that cash-strapped contenders like himself are not unduly disadvantaged.
He refused to outrightly condemn the President for his generous gesture and instead encouraged the journalist to prepare to attend the IPOD Summit he (Mao) is organizing and be able to directly register his concerns and reservations to the giver of the money who will be in attendance. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
