Maverick Mukono Municipality legislator who also doubles as the opposition Internal Affairs Shadow minister Betty Nambooze Bakireke and controversial senior presidential advisor on media Joseph Tamale Mirundi have placed Matia Kasaija the senior minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and his experts who include the Secretary to Treasury Ramathan Ggobi on spot to explain why they have allocated Shs1.8bn in the coming financial year 2024-25 to Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Shs.1.4bn to his Deputy Richard Butera and Shs1.2bn to the Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija as donations.
Both celebrated veteran journalists revealed that Ugandans are spending a lot of money on Chief Justice Dollo and other Judicial Officers to the extent that even in retirement they are going to look after them by paying them the full salary equal to that of those still serving in their respective offices, pay for their medical bills and other juicy allowances; and as if that is not enough, they are now adding another burden of giving them billions of shillings as donations.
“Will Dollo and those Judicial Officers donate the billions of money allocated to him by Kasaija to clerks in the judiciary or his security team? Ugandans are tired of this luxurious spending. Now traders in Kampala city, the heart of the economy, are on strike because of the high taxes but government officials are still squeezing them,” Nambooze said.
She further disclosed that Shs2.4bn was allocated to the Parliamentary Commission and predicted that other parliamentary commissioners are going to also receive Service Awards similar to that of former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba who was given Shs500m.
When Lwemiyaga county legislator Theodore Ssekikubo tried to table the matter on the floor of parliament this week, Speaker Among blasted him for speaking nonsense.
However, Speaker Among was defended by Mirundi who noted that she should not be harassed because most government officials are given billions of money to be spend as donations.
In his alternative budget 2024-25, shadow minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development who also doubles as Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that the government has budgeted for Shs162bn as donations in the 2024/25 budget.
He explained that more than half of the said money is under the residence of the President who will spend Shs77bn on community outreach programmes under the vote of item (description) donation.
His residence will donate another Shs59bn in what is termed as presidential initiatives bringing the total donations at his residence to Shs138bn.
Ssemujju said Museveni will spend Shs.4.2bn under his office on donations.
Ssemujju’s alternative budget also revealed that Chris Obore, parliament’s Director for Public Relations, will spend Shs 4.9bn in donations.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja’s office will spend Shs 3.7bn as donation.
The Office of the Speaker of Parliament will spend Shs2.4bn and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa will spend Shs 1.8bn in donations.
The government chief whip Obua Denis’s office will spend Shs1.8bn.
Presidential Office for Mobilization and Security Services which is responsible for supervision and monitoring of field offices allocated with Shs4.2bn, Parliamentary Commission Office of the Speaker Administrative and support services Shs2.4bn, National Council of Sports Sports/Technical Talent Identification and Development was allocated with Shs2.2bn for donation.
The office of the Prime Minister Executive Governance Government Chief Whip Shs1.8bn, Parliamentary Commission Office of the Deputy Speaker Administrative and Support Services Shs1.8bn, Justice Kasule Lumumba’s Office of the Prime Minister Executive Governance General Duties was given Shs9.5bn for donation.
Vice president Jessica Alupo’s Office was given Shs7.1bn, Uganda Blood Transfusion Service Blood Donation Blood Collection was given Shs535,186,000.00, Parliamentary Commission Parliamentary Commission Secretariat Leadership and Management Shs4.8bn, Gen. Moses Ali’s Office of the Prime Minister Executive Governance 2nd Deputy Prime Minister was given Shs200,000,000, Judiciary Chambers of the Chief Justice Dollo’s Leadership and Management was given Shs1.8bn, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga’s Office of the Prime Minister Executive Governance 1st Deputy Prime Minister Shs1.5bn.
Rukia Nakadama’s Office of the Prime Minister Executive Governance 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Shs1.5bn.
Justice Butera’s Judiciary Chambers of the Deputy Chief Justice Leadership and Management given Shs1.4bn.
Dr. Dorothy Kisaka’s Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Administration and Human Resource Administrative and Support Services allocated Shs1.2bn.
Principal Judge Dr Zeija ‘s Judiciary Chambers of the Principal Judge Leadership and Management given Shs1.2bn.
The newly reappointed Prisons Commissioner General Dr. Johnson Byabashaija’s Uganda Prisons Service Finance and Administration Leadership and Management was given Shs95,000,000, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Tourism Research Shs.63,000,000, National Population Council Family Health Reproductive and Infant Health Services Shs58,000,000, National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board Research and Planning Research and Advocacy Shs50,000,000.
Again Kadaga’s Ministry of East African Community Affairs Finance and Administration Administrative and Support Services given Shs40,000,000, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Kastgazi Tumusiime’s police Force Command and Control Strategic Command and Policy Guidance Shs35,709,195, Uganda Management Corporate Office Administrative and Shs30,043,000.
Again Kisaka’s Institute Support Services Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive support Administrative and Support Services was given Shs.25,000,000.00m, Inspectorate of Government (IG) Finance and Administration Support services Shs.20,800,000, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Finance and Administration Communication and Public Relations Shs.19,000,000, National Forestry Authority (NFA) Natural Forests Management Central Forest Reserves Management Shs.18,000,000, National Forestry Authority (NFA) Finance Administration Administrative and Support Services Shs12,000,000.
Kampala Central mayor Salim Uhuru’s Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Central Division Urban Council Policies, Regulations and Standards Shs.11,610,833. National Unity Platform’s Emmanuel Sserunjogi’s Kawempe Division Urban Council Policies, Regulations and Standards Shs 11,610,833.
Mberaze’s Lubaga Division Urban Council Policies, Regulations and Standards Shs11,610,833.
NUP’s Ali Kasirye Mulyanyama’s Makindye Division Urban Council Policies, Regulations and Standards Shs11,610,833 and NUP’s Paul Mugambe’s Nakawa Division Urban Council Policies, Regulations and Standards Shs11,610,833.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Central Division Urban Council Planning and Budgeting services Shs10,000,000. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Kawempe Division Urban Council Planning and Budgeting services was given Shs.1,000,000.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Lubaga Division Urban Council Planning and Budgeting services Shs.10,000,000, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Makindye Division Urban Council Planning and Budgeting services Shs.10,000,000.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Nakawa Division Urban Council Planning and Budgeting services Shs.10, 000,000, Mountains of the Moon University Vice Chancellors Office Leadership and Management Shs 10,000,000, Makerere University Central Administration Administrative and Support Services Shs9,999,992 among others.
According to Ssemujju, President Museveni’s government is set to spend a total of Shs.162,682,961,045 only on donations.
However, when contacted, Kasaija rubbished Ssemujju’s budget explaining that he lacks capability to plan for Uganda.
He advised him to only help him and President Museveni by exposing government officials who are involved in corruption and are eating taxpayers’ money allocated to their offices for service delivery to the common person deep in the village.
By Sengooba Alirabaki
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