By Spy Uganda
Kampala: According to reliable sources within parliament, Hon. Joel Bisekezi Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), has been tiptoeing (walk quietly and carefully with one’s heels raised and one’s weight on the balls of the feet) receiving a monthly honorarium of Ugx 6.3 million for his role on the Parliamentary Commission. This has continued for the entire seven months of his tenure, during which he has not attended any commission meetings since assuming office from his predecessor, Mathias Nsamba Mpuunga.
Calculating thus far, this amounts to Ugx 44,100,000, with payments ongoing as he enjoys his gains. This sum is in addition to his substantial monthly salary and allowances funded by taxpayers.
Critics now question the appropriateness of rewarding someone who does not fulfill the duties expected of the position. Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi Bisekezi was elected as the NUP parliamentary candidate for Nakawa West in the 2021 general elections, subsequently assuming office as LoP on January 9, 2024.
Since his appointment, reports indicate that despite not attending any meetings, Hon. Ssenyonyi has been receiving a monthly honorarium of Ugx 6.3 million as a member of the commission. He claims he has been blocked from attending by the Speaker of Parliament, yet he continues to accept the sitting allowance.
“Ssenyonyi wants to be seen as an anti-corruption advocate, but his actions suggest otherwise,” remarked a parliamentary source last Friday. “He has received criticism in the past for claiming funds under false pretenses.”
Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, a family man, married Febress Nagawa in 2020, and together they have a daughter and a son. Amidst ongoing political turbulences in Uganda, some Right thinking citizens are beginning to question whether the opposition is truly committed to combating corruption or they are complicit in the very practices they decry.
