According to opposition MPs Joyce Bagala, Ugandans should be offered more than sh100,000 under the COVID-19 relief fund.
MPs from the opposition have called for the government to consider raising the COVID-19 relief fund to Ugandans, arguing that sh100,000 is too low.
Opposition MPs led by Joyce Bagala, the Mityana Woman MP insist that the proposed figure is not only inadequate but cannot cater for all the needs of a vulnerable Ugandan.
As a result, they demand the government pushes this figure to at least sh200,000 because this can help them cater for the most essential basic needs including rent, water and food.
“We demand that the money proposed to be given to vulnerable persons be increased to a reasonable sum from 100,000/= to at least 200,000/= to help households survive. We also want the scope of beneficiaries to be expanded to benefit the entire country and not cities,” Bagala said on Thursday during a joint press conference held at Parliament.
She was in the company of other legislators forming the 11th Parliament Shadow Cabinet. The group also questioned why the government ignored seeking any approval from Parliament before coming to conclusion on the matter.
The MPs who demanded the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah to immediately respond to the queries said the work of Parliament should not be interfered with by the State. They said the executive has no power to execute funds to cater for vulnerable individuals.
“Government needed to bring such a matter to parliament for debate. The executive has no power whatsoever to appropriate funds without the approval of parliament,” Bagala revealed.
In addition, she raised that for this second wave, the government was in a position to plan tremendously well on what relief package they have prepared for Ugandans.
She also added that money should not only be disbursed to only a few Ugandans in towns but to everyone as long as they reside in urban centres because the biggest population has been hit by the lockdown.
“We are asking the Speaker to recall Parliament because of all the issues we are discussing here today. All the people in urban centers across the country have the same issues. If you’re to announce a lockdown, you should be ready with how relief will be given and stickers for movement because prior to the announcement, they have meetings,” Bagala raised.
She added: The announcement of the first lockdown in the second wave was a bit wanting, especially announcing without planning how people will survive. Ugandans need to understand how much was collected in the fight against COVID19 and how it was spent.”
Her statement, however, comes at a time when the Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo has disclosed that the country’s economy cannot afford to disburse money beyond the proposed relief figure.
“I have heard people ask, can UGX 100,000 pay my rent? Uganda’s economy cannot afford UGX 500,000. UGX 100,000 is what it can give,” Ofwono Opondo said while appearing on NBS TV’s Frontline.
