Kampala, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni’s April 11 rebuttal has sparked a political storm, with Uganda’s Opposition leaders accusing him of deliberately avoiding the central issue: the alleged Shs100 million payouts to Members of Parliament (MPs) as rewards for backing controversial legislation.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, led the charge, criticizing Museveni for what he termed “three pages of beating around the bush” without confronting the heart of the matter.
“Instead of responding to the issue of Shs100m, he is deflecting. The critical issue is the alleged money given to MPs after passing the Coffee Bill and amendments to the UPDF Act. That’s what he should respond to,” Ssenyonyi told the Daily Monitor.
In his statement, Museveni defended the classified budget allocations, arguing they contribute to Uganda’s stability and security:
"Has this helped to keep the peace? Absolutely," Museveni asserted. However, he steered clear of directly addressing the alleged handouts.
The President also accused the Opposition and sections of the media of ignoring foreign interference in Uganda’s politics, a claim Ssenyonyi dismissed as a “diversionary tactic.”
"According to the Trump administration, the Museveni government has received foreign funds they never account for. Let him address the nation on that," Ssenyonyi shot back.
The scandal, first revealed by the Daily Monitor, has escalated into a full-blown political crisis, with the Opposition demanding transparency and an independent investigation into the alleged cash-for-support