[Ugnet] I Got Shs5m for Kisanja

The State Minister for Information Dr. James Nsaba Buturo said yesterday that he was one of the Movement supporters who received a Shs5 million "facilitation" to support the White Paper.

It emerged yesterday that some selected MPs were being given money to support the third term. Buturo told a weekly Cabinet press briefing at Nakasero all MPs who are promoters of the Movement received the money. "All promoters of NRMO are beneficiaries of that money, and I am a promoter of NRM," Buturo said. The money was being distributed at Mosa Court Apartments in Kampala.

Buturo made the revelation as the matter drew more controversy from MPs especially those who were denied access to the money.

The MPs said on Tuesday that government was openly dishing out the money to members for their support for the third term project also known as Ekisanja, which has been interpreted to be a bribe.

But Buturo made a spirited defence of the payment insisting "it is not a bribe but just facilitation."

He said; "It is not true that money has been given to MPs so that they can support the proposal to lift the presidential term limit now before Parliament. Instead, it has been given to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) founder/promoters to go to the country and promote/explain the contents of the white paper."

The payment came to light on Tuesday after Lwemiyaga MP, Mr Theodre Ssekikubo, told a press conference at Parliament that he had been bounced after he declined the condition to first declare his support for the third term.

"This is to make it clear that the funding that was mobilised and given to NRM promoters has not been drawn from the Consolidated Fund. It is not tax payers money, instead it is money that the NRM leadership has mobilized from friends," Buturo said.

Meanwhile, at Parliament more MPs came out to make "confessions" about the money. Some welcomed the happy windfall, others told of narrow misses and others their hustle they went through to grab a piece of the cake at Mosa Court Apartments.

Mr Kibale Wambi (Bunya East) boasted of how he tore the voucher in the face of Buturo and "paymasters" Charles Bakabulindi (Movement caucus chairman) and Ms Oliver Wonekha (Woman Mbale). "I was called to go and sign for the money thinking it was for all MPs to go and explain the White Paper in their constituencies, but after signing and receiving the voucher, Hope (Mwesigye) told me it is for supporting the third term," Wambi said.

Wambi narrated how Ms Jennifer Kawooya (Woman Sembabule) quizzed him on whether he was a "conc. Movementist or a dilute one."

He said he got angry and tore the voucher before Buturo, Jovino Akaki and Prof. Mondo Kagonyera who were in line waiting for their own payment.

At Nakasero, Buturo had to deal with a barrage of questions from journalists who demanded a clear explanation as to the source and criteria of giving the money.

He declined to reveal details on the source of funding.

"Those who got the money of course are five million shillings richer. We are not buying our members, we are simply facilitating them for a task they have got to accomplish. They will account for it when they return," he said.

Another MP Mr Mutebi Kityo boasted, "This is political money for the people in my constituency and I have already used most of it. I'm supporting the movement so they have to maintain me."

Buturo said it was surprising that opponents of the NRM were generating a lot of excitement from the money and were trying to use it to ostracize the Movement.

"DP like UPC and FDC have received funds from external sources but NRM has not complained. FDC is making a lot of noise because it cannot raise this kind of money," he said.

Prof. Victoria Mwaka (Woman Luweero) supported Buturo, "How come no body has ever come up to question where other political parties get their funding from? Why ask now?"

Buturo declined to give the actual amount the Movement has set out for the mobilization during the Parliament recess. However, a rough calculation indicates that at least Shs1.2billion was spent on the 205 MPs the Movement claims support its third term bid.

Buturo said Mr Ssekikubo had gate crashed a party he was not invited to. "I don't know how he got to know, no body invited him, somehow he got to know and he found his way there. We know that he was not on our list," Buturo said.

He did not give the list but said that all MPs who are Movement promoters including ministers benefited.

Asked to explain who was qualified for the stipend, Buturo said, "You've got to be an MP to qualify for the money."

MP Wambi said, "Wonekha pleaded with me to get take the money but I refused. I told them it was immoral for an MP to be bribed to support ekisanja for only Shs5 million. Bakabulundi told me that was just Bukunkumuka (leftovers) and that the real cash for Kisanja is coming."

[Ugnet] I Got Shs5m for Kisanja - Buturo

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