Last week, Hon Muwanga Kivumbi on a press conference with Hon Kyagulanyi the NUP leader said that MPs were going to get 100 million each from the Classified Expenditure on the recently passed Supplimentary budget!
Similar allegations of money exchanging hands have been made by MPs even in the past Parliaments. This year Hon Musila John claimed that MPs were paid 2 millon allowance every time they are in plenary which was never the case. Many times we have seen MPs who never say anything in Committees or Plenary chose to rush for cameras in Parliamentary corridors to make statements.
Because its politics of posturing & media attention that make votes, a number of MPs can make any statements they want for purposes of gaining political capital unfortunately at the expense of Parliament’s image as an institution!
Unlike judiciary which has high levels of integrity and discpline, or Executive where there is collective responsibility, Parliament is an institution where everyone says whatever they wants & no body questions them.
Whereas this is good for purposes of public accountability, Despacito given that MPs represent their voters, this freedom if abused it may affect the entire institution.
It’s very unfortunate for some MPs to think that they can be popular in an “unpopular Institution”; that they can be angels in an institution they brand as “a devil”! It certainly a delusional for one to think that they are safe in a sinking boat!
Why should an MP go in the media to claim that they will receive 100 millon out or classified expenditure yet they claim not to know the purpose of the same classified expenditure?
MPs mainly from the opposition should know that they can reclaim their seats without necessary tarnishing the image of Parliament. If opposing or blaming Parliament was the sure way to win voters hearts, opposition MPs would not have lost elections. In 2021 alone out of about 65 opposition MPs, 35 didn’t retain their seats.
It is on record that since the return of Multi Party in 2006, three of the six Leaders of Opposition in Parliament have not returned to Parliament in the subsequent election (Prof Ogenga Latigo, Hon Winnie Kizza & Hon Wafula Ogutu. That means that it’s not about opposing & walking out but rather doing the right thing!
So MPs should speak the truth but also protect the image of Parliament because it’s their employer.
Even in worst case scenarios where the leadership of Parliament does mistakes, its wise to engage them with maturity than attacking them in public, otherwise when the voters choose to hate Parliament they will not spare anyone including the opposition
The author is a Public Relations expert!
georges2010ug@gmail.com
