Museveni Gives MPs Funds
New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
June 8, 2005
Posted to the web June 9, 2005
By M. Olupot And H. Mukasa
Kampala
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday said he had initiated a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for MPs to assist them start development projects in their constituencies and to save them from incessant fundraising pressures.
Museveni, in his state of the nation address to parliament yesterday, said fundraisings would create corruption apart from putting undue pressure on leaders.
"Schools, clinics, roads and others are built by the State. There is no need for political leaders to fund-raise for these. May be we shall permit limited fundraising for non-state social institutions such as churches, mosques and others.
"I hope you will all take advantage of this initiative. You can't build public facilities. You end up very badly and you begin lobbying Indians. This should be stopped by the leadership code. It will be illegal for you to fundraise.
"This law will cover those who are in Parliament and not those who are aspiring to come to parliament, because they can use the cover-up of NGOs but we shall find a way of protecting those in Parliament," he said. It's the president's first entry to the chambers in the last nine years. Parliament, usually dogged by lack of quorum, was filled to capacity. By 2:10pm the chambers were overflowing.
Museveni, Speaker Edward Ssekandi and deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga entered the chambers in a procession at 2:30pm.
"Allow me welcome the president to the permanent home of parliament," Ssekandi said before proclaiming the sitting.
When Sekandi invited Museveni to speak, his speech was missing.
"When I was last here I was the Speaker of parliament," Museveni said remembering the days when he was chairman of the National Resistance Council.
He said the chambers were too small for 304 MPs and should be enlarged on the right.
"I think this room should be expanded... this side," he said pointing to the right hand side of the Speaker. "This side is going to remain small," he added referring to sitting arrangement under multipartyism.
He resumed his seat and after 10 minutes, his 20-page speech was delivered.
Museveni mourned the deceased seven MPs, lauded athlete Dorcus Inzikuru for setting a steeplechase world record and saluted SC Villa for lifting the Kagame Cup without conceding a goal.
He said the government had created new districts in response to demands of bringing services nearer and recognising cultural identity.
He said these would take effect from July 1 after approval by parliament.
He said in a bid to attract and retain leaders in local governments, government would pay the salaries of district chairpersons, members of the district executives and chairpersons of sub-counties and town councils from the consolidated fund, with effect from July 1. Museveni said this was because the majority of local governments were financially weak.
He said the Government would recentralise the authority to appoint and discipline chief administrative officers and town clerks of cities and municipalities and to replace tender boards with contract committees.
A jovial Museveni cracked jokes and responded to all the incessant interjections the cheeky but astute Samia Bugwe MP, Aggrey Awori, made.
He surprised MPs who hoped he would comment on the row with Rwanda when he said, "we are at peace with all our neighbours. I'm confident that whichever misunderstandings we could have with them are not peace threatening."
Museveni, who said the Movement believed in good neighbourliness, said Uganda supports Rwanda and Burundi's entry to the EAC.
"We also hope their entry will reduce tensions in the region," he added.
The president said the UPDF had degraded the LRA rebels so much that they had lost the capacity to ambush and abduct.
"Kony can come out, if he doesn't we shall get him." Some Mps asked "where" and he retorted, "never mind."
He said Karamoja warriors would be disarmed.
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