By Parliament has officially dismissed as false the widespread social media allegations that each member of Parliament (MP) notably belonging to the NRM party and a section from the opposition are being awarded Shs100 million, calling the reports baseless and misleading.
In a brief statement issued via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Parliament clarified that no such payments have been made to MPs and that any financial transactions involving legislators are processed through official channels under the supervision of the Clerk to Parliament.
“There are claims on social media regarding alleged payments of Shs100 million to MPs,” the statement reads. “The public is advised that Parliament makes statutory payments to MPs, which are processed by the Office of the Clerk to Parliament and reflected on their payslips. The Clerk has not processed any such payments.”
This statement was issued in response to growing speculation and public outrage on various social media platforms, where users accused NRM MPs and a section of selected opposition MPs of receiving ‘secret’ payments as a token of appreciation for backing the passing of the contentious coffee bill.
The lead about the ‘secret’ payment was first lifted by the leader of the opposition Joel Ssenyonyi through his X(formerly Twitter) handle where he claimed that each MP is reportedly receiving Shs100 million as a form of “appreciation” for passing the controversial Coffee Bill, and in preparation for an upcoming proposed amendment to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Act
“We have learned that there is money which is surreptitiously exchanging hands in Parliament,” Ssenyonyi stated. “They are giving each NRM MP (and a few selected opposition MPs) Shs100m each, as appreciation for the Coffee Bill that was passed”- he stated
However, Parliament insists that all MP remuneration follows established legal and financial frameworks and is subject to scrutiny by relevant oversight bodies.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Parliament has been dogged by allegations of cash inducements. In previous years, opposition and independent legislators have raised similar concerns about “appreciation” payments or “facilitation” funds tied to specific legislative processes or votes.
