Adolf Mwesige, Clerk to Parliament, has recalled Members of Parliament (MPs) from recess to address President Yoweri Museveni’s concerns regarding the Appropriation Bill 2024.
President Museveni has refused to sign the bill into law, prompting an urgent reconsideration by the legislature.
In a letter dated June 27, 2024, Mwesige summoned MPs to reconvene on July 2, 2024, at 2 PM. The letter states in part, “The President has returned the bill to Parliament for reconsideration in accordance with Article 91(3)(b) and (c) of the Constitution.”
While the specific reasons for the President’s rejection of the bill remain unclear, it is rumored that the reallocation of 750 billion shillings by the Budget Committee of Parliament is a significant factor.
The Appropriation Bill, passed by Parliament in May 2024, aims to authorize public expenditure from the Consolidated Fund totaling thirty trillion, three hundred fourteen billion, five hundred twelve million, and one hundred thousand shillings for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
President Museveni’s refusal to sign the bill coincides with a period of political tension.
Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of the Opposition, recently accused Speaker Anita Among of rejecting the Opposition’s recommended MPs for the Budget Committee. Instead, the Speaker appointed Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo Mukungwe) and Abed Bwanika (Kimanya-Kabonero), leading to accusations of favoritism and allegations of corruption within the committee.
Ssenyonyi voiced his concerns on June 19, 2024, following Parliament’s rejection of the National Unity Platform’s proposal to replace Joyce Bagala (Mityana DWR) and Bwanika from the leadership of the Government Assurance Committee. He suggested that the Speaker’s choices might explain why some Budget Committee MPs have been arrested on corruption charges.
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