The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga is concerned that asking legislators to conduct covid 19 tests is infringing on tax payer’s money.
The President is today addressing the nation in Parliament at the Kololo Independence Grounds on the State of the nation.
In accordance with Article 101 (1) of the Constitution of Uganda, the Speaker of Parliament is mandated annually to invite the President to address Parliament on the socio-economic and political state of the nation.
According to Mpuuga, it is a waste of public resources to spend millions on thousands of people including legislators to test for covid 19.
“Another event of the budget speech is also expected to cost the taxpayer another shs 3 billion in Covid-19 tests,”he said.
The Budget Speech which is takes place a week later will cost the taxpayer another three billion Shillings in mandatory COVID-19 tests.
The Shadow Cabinet resolved that subjecting people to the costly COVID-19 tests for the sole purpose of meeting Museveni must stop, and accordingly, directed Members of the Opposition not to test for COVID-19 and to stay away from the State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech.
“The Shadow Cabinet has therefore resolved that subjecting people to the costly Covid-19 tests for the sole purpose of meeting Mr. Museveni is an abuse and must stop,”he said.
In order to save taxpayers money in the wake of the biting economic hard times, the shadow cabinet proposed that Museveni and the first family should take COVID-19 booster doses to boost their immunity as recommended by the WHO to lessen their anxiety over the covid-19 threats to their lives.
The Shadow Cabinet also advised the President to increase the social distance he observes while meeting people in the country as recommended by WHO and make the decision to not meet people physically and instead use technology (zoom) as he did during the covid-19 pandemic.