Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has accused both the Executive and Judiciary of conspiring to undermine the powers of Parliament.
On Thursday afternoon Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has furiously convened an emergency news conference at Parliament to express distress over numerous attacks from the two arms of government in relation to shs 10 billion COVID-19 facilitation that has since landed legislators in hot soup.
On Wednesday a High Court judge ordered MPs to return shs 20 million allocated to them or take it to district COVID-19 taskforce.
“The funds be returned to the Parliamentary Commission pursuant to its letter addressed to the Members of Parliament dated 22nd April 2020; the funds be paid to the district Covid-19 task force in which the members of Parliament are incorporated through the Chief Administrative Officer,” Justice Michael Elubu ordered.
The court’s ruling came high on the heels of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s Tuesday directive in which he said MPs had no power to allocate themselves the 20 million. Museveni ordered they cough the money or take it to district COVID-19 taskforce.
The public has since said the MPs have been ordered by the President and Sentenced by Court.
But this has instead aroused uneasiness between the Speaker and her Commissioners.
Kadaga who spent the better time addressing the media in vernacular (Lusoga) would later say as Parliament they have resolved to show the nation the monies they have been passing to these huge institutions of government and therefore the public should also demand accountability from Executive and Judiciary.
“We have been attacked by both the two arms of government,” she said.
Adding that, “how can a judge appropriate money for Parliament?” she asked in relation to the Court’s order.
Kadaga wondered that even when the petitioners Hon Gerald Karuhanga and Hon Jonathan Odur had withdrawn their application, Court went ahead to order lawmakers.
“Tomorrow we shall show you the media the money we have been passing so that you also demand answers from them,” Kadaga angrily concluded the presser.
Earlier this month, as Parliament passed a supplementary budget for government to fight COVID-19, the MPs secretly allocated themselves shs 10 billion with each receiving 20 million.
Kadaga defended the decision saying the money would facilitate MPs’ sensitization programs in their constituencies as the country fights COVID-19. But the public instead said legislators expressed immorality, greed and irresponsibility at a time when the nation is battling a pandemic.
