The 529 members of the Ugandan parliament received 200 million Ugandan shillings each this week, or about 48,000 euros per person, for a total envelope of 25 million euros. This amount is intended for the purchase of cars for elected officials. The message is going badly because the country is being hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.
Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo defended the decision, stressing that deputies had the “right to transport”, citing a “long-standing tradition”.
The decision is not for everyone’s taste. Sarah Bireete, a human rights activist, condemns this measure, which was taken in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic that is raging in the country.
“Prioritization should be immunization of the population, conduct screening tests and treat patients who are ill with Covid … But when we see the decision made by the government to buy cars from deputies, while we do not There is not enough money for vaccination and hospitals lack of important drugs and oxygen, we see that the country’s priorities are reversed.Do not worry about the fate of the population but rather about the comfort of the political leaders, the activist regrets.
This then recalls: “Ministers already have two vehicles with drivers and petrol paid for by the taxpayer. They were also allocated money for a third vehicle by Parliament … always at the taxpayer’s expense. So even if these cars are presented as a necessity for new MPs, ministers should not take advantage of these benefits. ”
“A criminal and immoral affair”
Anger broke out in the media and on social media. In 2018, a similar measure also aroused general disapproval. Protesters had even invaded parliament. But according to Joseph Ochieno, a Ugandan politician and columnist, these protests will not change anything.
“For 35 years, this country has pursued a policy of gifts and benefits in kind. The government is not aware of the needs of the people or their needs. It is not the referendum that affects politics, but solitaire and lobbies when the majority of the population has nothing to say.
But the problem is that this scandal comes at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is particularly worrying. The people are so poor, the pandemic is exacerbating the situation and this is making this activity not only criminal but extremely immoral.
However, part of the Ugandan population is so used to it. Because we have been ruled so brutally for so long by a system that people are sometimes desperate. They can demonstrate but the protest leads to nothing. In 2018, people protested but what happened? Nothing. Will the current dissatisfaction go beyond the current controversy? I doubt.”
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