Here’s How Much Each MP Is Getting As Allowance Of The Gulu Parliamentary Sitting – Opposition MPs Who Boycotted The Sitting Get Allowances Too

The Ugandan Parliamentary Commission has recently deposited Gulu sitting allowances into the accounts of all Members of Parliament (MPs), according to an opposition lawmaker.

This move comes as the Speaker and her team push forward with their controversial plan to conduct regional plenary sessions. They argue that these sittings will help bridge the gap between the institution and the citizens it represents.

The regional sittings are set to take place from today through Friday, with numerous MPs having traveled to Gulu, a city in northern Uganda, for this inaugural regional parliamentary session.

However, the decision has not been without controversy. Opposition members, including Nansana Municipality MP Musoke Wakayima, have publicly criticized the move. Wakayima contends that the funds allocated for the regional sittings would have been better spent on pressing issues such as repairing city roads and enhancing service delivery across the country.

Others have argued that the money should have been used to support medical interns, who are now facing an additional year of waiting before their placements.

Adding to the debate, President Museveni recently proposed that the burden of internship placements for doctors should fall on the parents who sponsored their medical education.

During a meeting with post-medical interns at Kyankwanzi, Museveni questioned, “Why don’t we agree that a person who has qualified as a medical doctor after five years in medical school continues with the internship but with sponsorship from the person who sponsored him in the first place? What is the problem? If someone was sponsoring you for five years, why does he stop now?”

Regarding the allowances, Wakayima revealed that each of the 556 MPs has received Shs1.5 million for the Gulu sitting, totaling up to Shs834 million in allowances. MPs who choose not to attend the Gulu sitting will see this amount deducted from their bank accounts.

Wakayima addressed concerns about the allowances, stating, “I don’t see why people should be worried about the allowances. It is automatic; if you don’t perform government duties, next month, the money is deducted. Whether I get it from the bank to give to the parliamentary officers, it will be automatically taken. The money that has been deposited into MPs’ accounts is Shs1.5 million, assuming that each day costs around Shs400,000. They should act quickly to reclaim their money; in fact, they are already delayed.”

Meanwhile, several opposition MPs, including Jimmy Lwanga (Njeru), Veronica Nanyondo (Bukomansimbi), Abed Bwanika (Kimanya-Kabonera), Bashir Kazibwe (Kawempe South), and Twaha Kagabo (Bukoto South), are attending the Gulu session despite the ongoing criticism and controversy surrounding it.