Museveni’s Shs 1.4m COVID-19 Donation is an Insult
Mr. Museveni has donated half of his salary, Shs 1.4 million to the Covid-19 fund established by a National Taskforce he set up. The Taskforce has so far raised about Shs 21 billion. Its target is about Shs 170 billion and 1000 vehicles.
For more than a month, the Taskforce headed by Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda has raised only Shs 21 billion!
Compare to a 99 year UK World War Two veteran, Capt. Tom Moore who in about two weeks raised about Shs 80 billion. That makes the Museveni initiative is a total failure. Why?
The answer is in the Shs 1.4 million donation that Museveni himself has made to the task force. A whole ceremony was held to receive the Museveni donation delivered by his dear wife Mrs. Janet Kataaha Museveni.
The Prime Minister Dr. Rugunda, Minister for Genera Duties in the office of Prime Minister, Maria Karooro and a host of senior government officials were mobilized to receive this donation.
And the wife explained how generous her husband is. His salary is Shs 3.6 million. He has already donated a quarter of it to his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The little that remained, is what the Museveni family is now donating to the fight against Covid 19. Ridiculous!
If this is not akamanyiiro please tell me what it is? This old man likes taking us for fools. He and his wife want the country to believe that all they get from taxpayers is Shs 3.6 million a month.
This financial year ending June 30, the total State House budget approved by Parliament was Shs 407 billion. It included the following;
- Donations = Shs 200 billion
- Classified expenditure =Shs 68 billion
- Travel inland =Shs32.7 billion
- Travel abroad =Shs 18.9 billion
- Staff salaries =Shs17 billion
- Allowances (including casuals) =Shs 17 billion
- Maintaining vehicles =Shs 7.2 billion
- Welfare and entertainment =Shs 4.7 billion
- Special Meals and Drinks =Shs 3.4 billion
There are other items that we fund at the residence of Mr. Museveni. And he has a budget for Office of the President which totals to Shs 100 billion.
And please take note that this financial year he has already returned to Parliament requesting for Shs 50 billion to carry out nationwide tours under the guise of operation wealth creation.
And another request to give him Shs 90 billion under state House for classified purchases. He is also requesting for Shs 17 billion to buy vehicles for who, I don’t know. That is Museveni for you.
Every aspect of Museveni’s life is funded by the taxpayer. Even a mulaalo [herdsman] at his farm is paid for by the government. His veterinary doctor at his farm gets a salary as a presidential advisor on veterinary affairs. His animals are being herded by Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers.
Donating Shs 1.4 million, Museveni was simply mocking those responsible for this initiative. The truth of the matter, Covid-19, has not been a health nightmare to Uganda.
The real nightmare has been the lockdown of the country and the world. This is what has sucked most of the population’s earnings. The lockdown has made people go hungry. And when the total cost of the lockdown is finally counted, the country will even forget Coronavirus as a health issue.
Children in urban areas who have gone without food (proper meals) will get stunted. And many adults are candidates of depression. We are headed for tough times.
As an MP, I have spent the last one month and a half receiving guests at my gate who are pleading “for a kilo of posho Taata.” I have used all the money I had saved for campaigns to feed some of these people.
And each time I have distributed either maize flour or money, it is as if I had issued a loud invitation for the following day.
Yet Museveni has even afforded himself time to do push up and run around his magnificent office for the cameras.
Maybe he is one of the adults suffering from depression as a result of the lockdown. He took Shs 59 billion to buy food for the vulnerable in Kampala and Wakiso and the lockdown he first announced has ended without covering half the of the targeted 1.5 million people.
And knowing Museveni’s performance, I think this has been a successful story. And you vulnerable people don’t worry, he will reach you in August.
