The High court has issued an interim order blocking the parliamentary commission from paying Shs 10 billion to legislators to supervise anti-COVID-19 activities.
Justice Esta Nambayo issued the interim orders following an application by the Ntungamo Municipality MP, Gerald Karuhanga and Erute South MP, Jonathan Odur challenging the procedure leading to the allocation of the said money.
Through their lawyers of AF Mpanga and Company Advocates, the two legislators contend that parliament breached its own rules of procedure when it smuggled the issues of the said money into the budget committee report without the consent of members.
Justice Esta Nambayo issued the interim orders following an application by the Ntungamo Municipality MP, Gerald Karuhanga and Erute South MP, Jonathan Odur challenging the procedure leading to the allocation of the said money.
Through their lawyers of AF Mpanga and Company Advocates, the two legislators contend that parliament breached its own rules of procedure when it smuggled the issues of the said money into the budget committee report without the consent of members.
The Shs 10 billion is part of the Shs 304 billion supplementary budget approved by parliament on April 4, for anti-COVID-19 activities. Each MP is expected to pocket Shs 20 million.
The petitioners note that parliament deducted the Shs 10 billion from the Health ministry and Security budget to disburse it to the legislators to purportedly conduct sensitisation activities using flawed procedures.
They, therefore, asked the court to block the release of the funds, saying failure to stop the money that is expected to be drawn from the consolidated fund is likely to cause irreparable damage to the applicants.
In her ruling, justice Nambayo issued an interim order stopping the release of the money pending the hearing of the main case on April 29.
In her ruling, justice Nambayo issued an interim order stopping the release of the money pending the hearing of the main case on April 29.
The attorney general and parliamentary commission are respondents to the suit. The allocation of the money to the legislators has been a subject of public discussion with many people accusing the legislators of greed.
Speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has repeatedly defended the allocation of the funds to legislators, saying for starters MPs have translated anti-coronavirus messages in local languages for their local communities, only to draw more anger from the public.
Speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has repeatedly defended the allocation of the funds to legislators, saying for starters MPs have translated anti-coronavirus messages in local languages for their local communities, only to draw more anger from the public.
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