A wind of fortune is said to have blown upon legislators from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) after finally landing a cash bonanza worth Shs100m each.
The same money is said to have been channeled to all NRM-leaning independents, courtesy of NRM Chairman and President, Gen. Yoweri Museveni. The secret dish out is said to have kicked off last night, although Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua told us he wasn’t aware of the said deal as he was upcountry.
Inspectors said that this manna arose of frequent requests/reminders by legislators to the party Chairman calling for a financial bailout in the region of about Shs50m each.
The legislators are said to have made this initial noise to the Head of State in one of the caucus sittings (7th caucus this year) in which they cried to him that things weren’t going on well in their Constituencies as voters want to thump them up. Majority of them assured the President that they even fear to go to the constituencies because debts consumed much of their pay in Parliament and yet voters aren’t willing to listen to such explanations.
“Abalonzi bagamba ffe twagala ssente tetwagala kutunnyonnyola” (the voters are insisting on being given money not explanations) one of the MPs was quoted as telling the very attentive President in one of the meetings and he promised to intervene at an appropriate time.
Well placed inspectors knowledgeable on the deal suggested that since that time, the legislators have been pestering the President for money to near rioting until the President allegedly yielded last evening.
So generous to them he was, that instead of giving them Shs50m, the dime is said to have been doubled to Shs100m each.
The dime is said to have been channeled to the Office of the Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua who is said to be handling the give out.
“Mr. President, we’re badly off. We can’t go back to the constituencies. The voters are very hostile to us. We need your assistance. Kindly bail us out” an inspector quoted the members as telling the President every time they went for caucus sittings.
“They have got the money and the voters should know the Chairman has released something to members. They should be visible on the ground” explained an inspector.
It is not clear whether the money was for personal use now that the NRM primaries are knocking on the door. Inspectors however, noted that the timing of this dish out is likely to jeopardize the upcoming NRM structure elections exercise as legislators may use this dime to influence the grass root elections.
“The timing is suspect. They are likely to cause chaos in the structural elections. But people are also prepared to eat that money” explained an inspector.
The Members according to Inspectors started getting calls for their share as early as last night and the alleged exercise is going on at Chief Whip’s office.
“As most people were still held up in traffic jam, roads for NRM MPs and their allying colleagues were leading to the opposite direction. The dish out started around 9pm last night and it’s still ongoing” an inspector said.
We contacted the Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua on phone for a comment about this matter and it’s purpose but, he said he wasn’t aware of the said money as he was upcountry.
“I am upcountry. I am not aware of what you are talking about” he said when contacted.
We’re told the legislators also pleaded with the Generous General from Rwakitura not to expose them on this bonanza but inspectors said, he asked members to use it for the purpose they asked it for.
“If they said they want to go to the Constituencies, why fear to be exposed? People must know since this helps NRM solidify it’s ground” an inspector said.
The said dish out comes at a time when NRM MPs from Buganda have recently coined a project called ‘Buganda for Museveni’ in which they seek to rejuvenate Museveni’s fortunes in the region which dumped him and majority of his people in 2021 general elections. The group led by Buvuma county MP Migadde Ndugwa, launched the project in Buvuma and has been traversing various districts. Inspectors suggested that in all their meetings, it was evident that NRM MPs were struggling to even call meetings individually unless they were joined by Museveni’s ministers. This is the reason many ministers like Ruth Nankabirwa, Rose Namayanja, Haruna Kasolo and Hanifa Kawooya have been part of this group. Watch this space!
