KAMPALA — The Civil Court in Kampala has on Tuesday April 21 issued an injunction, halting the Parliamentary Commission from dispensing the UGX. 10b to Members of Parliament, pending its ruling scheduled for 29.
The temporary injunction was issued by Justice Esta Nambayo on Tuesday.
“That until the hearing ams determination of miscellaneous application No.179 of 2020 the status quo to paragraphs 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the affidavit of Gerald Karuhanga sworn in support of this application be maintained I.e the monies in the sum of UGX 10, 000, 000, 000, (Uganda shillings Ten billion) appropriated to the 1st respondent (Paramilitary Commission) under the impugned amendment to the report of the budget Committee in supplementary Expenditure….remain undistributed until the determination of miscellaneous application No. 197 of 2020, or if already paid, the Members of Parliament are ordered not to dissipate or spend the same until the hearing ams final determination of miscellaneous application No. 197 of 2020 or until further orders from this Honorable Court.”
Two MPs including Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga and Erute North MP Jonathan Odur on Tuesday 19 petitioned the Civil Division of the High Court seeking to block UGX 10bn allocated to MPs to help them fight the spread of COVID-19 in their respective constituencies.
The legislators, who were represented by A.F Mpanga and Company Advocates, argued that Parliament was wrong and selfish to allocate money to themselves.
They also argued that the Budget committee sneaked into the budget the allocation for Parliament.
Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye recently criticized Members of Parliament for allocating themselves Shs10 billion of the budget meant for fighting coronavirus.
According to Dr Besigye, whereas leaders in other countries are contributing to the government in this period, those in Uganda are taking away from the state.
“Surely, what’s wrong with Uganda’s leaders? Everywhere in the world, leaders are donating their earnings to help the COVID19 fight,” he said on Wednesday.
“Uganda’s leaders see an opportunity to increase their “benefits”! MPs getting more than $5,000- each to help them fight Covid19!
Stop this habit,” Dr Besigye added.
