Director of Communications & Public Affairs at Parliament, Chris Obore, has defended the Shs500 million given to Nyendo-Mukungwe MP, Mathias Mpuuga, as his ‘service award’ at the end of his tenure as Leader of the Opposition.
According to Obore, the money was legally passed as per the Parliament Act and should not be labelled as a bribe.
“Hon. Mpuuga offered services beyond those of being a Member of Parliament. He deserved to be rewarded, and Parliament did not do anything wrong in rewarding him,” said Obore. He further disclosed that other members of Parliament receive gratuity every year.
Mpuuga’s ‘service award’ money was exposed last week during the ongoing social media ‘protest’ dubbed #UgandaParliamentExhibition. The leaked documents showed that the meeting, which allocated Mpuuga and the other three commissioners the money, was attended by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, Mpuuga, and the three NRM Commissioners of Parliament.
The National Unity Platform, a party to which Mpuuga subscribes, decided to act by asking him to step down from his current position as parliamentary commissioner, accusing him of corruption and abuse of office.
In response, Mpuuga declined to step down, explaining that the said money was granted to him by the Parliamentary Commission as gratuity, and thus he cannot be accused of any crime.
This has now escalated into a back-and-forth between several NUP leaders, including their leader Robert Kyagulanyi and Mpuuga. Many are of the view that the issue might split up the currently strongest opposition party.