SHEEMA – The former Forum for Democratic Change president, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, has said President Museveni’s decision to provide army guards and vehicles to MPs shows that he is no longer conscious of the most important issues facing the country.
Speaking in Sheema District, western Uganda on Friday, Gen Muntu said the President’s decision as a security measure is panicky, reactionary and not sustainable.
“I don’t understand what he is up to and I do not see any sense of spending that much money on all the MPs. I do not understand why they panic because I am seeing them responding to different situations in form of knee-jerk reaction because like the mobile money tax, you can see it was a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.
The former army commander also said by accepting Museveni’s offer of the vehicles, the legislators will project themselves as greedy and selfish.
“There is increasing pressure for resources, no revenues and I think they did not think through it but they did not know the consequences in it will politically be devastating, that is why they reacted so fast,” he said.
The government will spend close to Shs290 billion on the extra security for MPs but Gen Muntu said this money will drain the economy.
“Let the government specify to us whether these security threats are internal or external and they need to clear our minds and my hope is that the MPs are the ones themselves who are going to discuss this because that money cannot be put in the budget unless MPs pass it. They need to demand an explanation is it an external threat is an internal threat? So that they can know what to respond and know whether it is worth that kind of money. Whether internal or external I do not think there can be a threat that targets 456 MPs. Gen. Museveni can panic and make all kinds of measures MPs themselves should not panic,” he added.
Gen Muntu was addressing journalists ahead of campaign rallies for FDC flag bearer for Sheema Municipality MP seat Virginia Plan Mugyenyi.
‘’Before MPs pass the expenditure of the armored vehicles Gen. Museveni is saying they need to be firm to ensure that they are fully briefed on the source of the threat, the magnitude of the threat does it cover all members of parliament ? I can’t comprehend how that can be to have that kind of threat that covers 456 MPs,’’ said Gen. Muntu.
Gen. Muntu said the biggest insecurity in the country is social as there are people dying in hospitals because of lack of drugs.
“I do not know that all those MPs are all under threat so if they want to give security to those under threat they need to target just a few I do not think that all MPs are under threat unless Gen. Museveni has got information that we would not have but I do not think it is possible that all MPs can be under threat. If there is a threat of that nature I think it must be affecting many more people than MPs alone, it means they will have to make more security for judges, security for all district chairpersons otherwise I would not see any reason for anybody to target 456 MPs,” he added.
