The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi, has raised concerns over allegations of financial mismanagement and misuse of funds within the parliamentary system.
In a press briefing at Parliament attended by journalists on Monday, Ssenyonyi, accompanied by members of the shadow cabinet, addressed pressing issues surrounding the accountability of public funds, particularly within the walls of Parliament itself.
Ssenyonyi’s remarks focused on several key issues, including unexplained expenditures and questionable financial transactions allegedly occurring within the parliamentary framework. Of significant concern were reports suggesting irregularities in the allocation and utilization of funds earmarked for community outreach activities overseen by the Office of the Speaker.
The Opposition Leader highlighted the need for transparency and accountability, stressing the importance of conducting a thorough investigation into the allegations of financial impropriety.
He expressed particular concern over the lack of clarity regarding the use of funds allocated for community outreach initiatives, pointing to substantial sums transferred to staff accounts for activities purportedly carried out by the Speaker outside the parliamentary setting.
“There have also been allegations about community outreach by the Office of the Speaker, billions of shillings have been put on different accounts of staff members for activities by the Speaker in the field that the public would like to know. There is a need for an explanation because the Speaker has not been away for long, and most of the days indicated are questionable.” He stated
During the briefing, Ssenyonyi called upon Speaker Anita Among to expedite the investigative process. Further stating that any potential financial irregularities threatens to uphold the integrity of Parliament and rebuild public trust in the institution.
Last week the Public Relations Officer at Parliament Chris Obore dismissed accusations as baseless and a malicious campaign by a few individuals to smear the person of the Speaker and tarnish the image of Parliament.
He told journalists that it is untrue that tax payers money is being distributed by the Speaker’s office recklessly and in an abusive manner.
‘It is not true that parliament spends 2.6 billion per day, what they have done is to get the parliamentary budget for one year and divide it by 365 days and that is a very cheap interpretation of the budget. As you know a budget is not spent daily, it goes on development, projects, salaries are paid monthly. It is meant to annoy the public to think there is a lot of money in parliament and target the Speaker of Parliament. But let the public be given accurate information” said Obore
According to leaked reports and documents. Parliament, spends an average of Shs79 billion monthly, translating to Shs2.6 billion daily.
The draft budget for Parliament shows significant changes in allocations to key offices, with increases of Shs5 billion for the Speaker and Shs4 billion for the Deputy Speaker, while the Leader of Opposition’s allocation decreased by Shs800 million.
In the previous fiscal year, the Speaker’s Office had Shs8.2 billion, the Deputy Speaker’s Office had Shs7.4 billion, and the Leader of Opposition’s Office had Shs4.4 billion. Additionally, funds for the Office of the Leader of Government Business decreased by Shs1 billion to Shs2.9 billion.
The Parliamentary Commission oversees financial management, with notable changes in allocations for key offices, including increases for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and a decrease for the Leader of Opposition.
Recent scrutiny of Parliament’s financial allocations, prompted by disclosures on social media platforms, has raised questions about transparency and accountability. Agora Discourse, led by a veteran journalist Agather Atuhaire, has highlighted questionable spending practices, including the disbursement of funds through personal bank accounts.
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