OPINION: The Mps who are uncomfortable with the 100M should donate it to the needy learners

By Steven Masiga

Several media platforms are awash with stories of how some Members of Parliament rejected a presidential handshake worthy of sh100M purportedly for patriotic service to the country which the President himself has affirmed.

Technically, this is clean cash from a known source. It is a good pay in the absence of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Without going into the merits of the payments, whether it was rightful to pay MPs for doing nothing or it was a contribution towards running the constituency since the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was scrapped, I will simply suggest those who feel that their conscience doesn’t allow them to receive that money and use it, they should alternatively donate it.

The MPs who unknowingly received the money on their accounts and feel they have not worked enough to merit the bonus payments should look for the bright and needy Learners in their constituencies and donate such cash in form of fees, feeding or scholastic materials.

Research findings indicate that about 30% of Ugandan learners at university are failing to complete the course because of failure to clear fees.

How about contributing to service delivery in their constituencies in the form of roads or supporting Saccos?

The reasoning behind the above submission is that once such funds are returned whenever they came from, the ordinary person in constituency X will miss out.

Equally it may be meant to bail them out as their demands in their various constituencies are concerned.

With the Scrapping of the Constituency Development Fund 14 years back, Members of Parliament lack a solid financial base to meet the needs of their constituents.

The writer is a researcher from Mbale.