Ssekandi, Kadaga Cited In Corruption Scam
VP Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi
Edward Ssekandi, the Vice President and Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament receive benefits of a retired speaker and deputy speaker respectively despite receiving full entitlements in their new capacities, a highly placed source in parliament has intimated to sources.
The parliamentary pensions (amendment) Act 2011 provides that both the retired speaker and deputy are entitled to 60 percent of the salary of a sitting speaker, a four wheel chauffeured car with cubic liter capacity of 3500-4000, two security guards, two domestic staff, medical insurance for self and spouse or spouses and 33 currency points per month for utilities.
Ssekandi and Kadaga served as speaker and deputy speaker respectively in the Eighth parliament. However, after the expiry of the term of the eighth parliament Ssekandi was appointed vice president and Kadaga was elected full speaker. According to the source, the issue of the double payment was raised in one the parliamentary commission meetings, the officials argued that the law which entitles them to the benefits does not bar them from accessing them once they serve government in other capacities.
However, City Lawyer Caleb Alaka disagrees saying this is corruption at its peak adding that it is exploitation of tax payers. According to Alaka in as much as the law is silent, it is illegal for one person to draw two salaries or benefits from the same fund. He argues that both Kadaga and Ssekandi get enough benefits as Vice President and Speaker so there is no reason for them to get double benefits. Alaka says that it is a matter to take to the constitutional court for interpretation and that the law should be amended if need be.
Fred Mukasa Mbidde, a legislator in East African Legislative Assembly says this is a criminal matter and not constitutional. He argues that parliamentary pensions (amendment) Act 2011 is erroneous and against the accounting principles of Uganda.
Mbidde insists that no one is entitled to pension when they are still serving. The decision by government to pay out benefits to Ssekandi and Kadaga is likely to raise suspicion. It comes only a few months after Professor Gilbert Bukenya, the former vice president accused government of withholding his benefits as former vice president.
Some officials claimed that Bukenya was not entitled to the benefits since he is serving and an MP and should not be drawing two types of benefits from the consolidated fund. However, Sezi Mbaguta, the minister of state for public service insisted that Bukenya receives his full benefits. Both Ssekandi and Kadaga have not yet commented on the issue of the benefits as they couldn’t be reached by our reporter.
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The rich get richer while the poor choke in more poverty.God bless Uganda
we’re tired of these games, we’re really sick of blackmail, we need work in uganda not political games. it’s not civilization to blackmail everyone who comes out because you want to stay on top. the executive must urgently stop this
No body thinks about the poor pple they just pretend as if they help yet they only think abt them selves boona abo babbi kati Kadaaga bulijjo atulimba mbunno awakanya mukama we yet they ‘r in de same boat they have grown too old, they dont want to leave for the future leaders, they have stolen whatever is around to be stolen u cant imagine the type of gov’t Uganda is having Ssekandi Kadaaga en ur party aaaaaaah we are tired give us some breathing space oba u ‘re too old to do what is required of a person leading why don’t u quit and we save our dear Uganda before it gets too late u are killing us, u have turned Uganda into a death ring for most people but God is watching you. The likes ov Gaddafi, Ssadam were also leaders like you but whr ‘r dey now its only a matter of time
This is pure theft at the highest order! Uganda needs a break from thieves.
.,…And we want her as president! Ugandans need a head check nobody who wears yellow is a good person
its my humble appeal for those two to resign. in a democratic setting that we assume we have, the honourable thing to do is to resign to clear their names peacefully. otherwise we are going to have to pray to God to clear them in someway naturally. Because both Sekandi and kadaga are at the core of the law, who can they convince that they are actually protected by the law or the law is silent on that or that they never knew about it? they have all been or are speakers. For sure if they dont resign, even the children born to them will never forget what they did to the tax payer.
Retirement benefits can not go to serving officers. This is pure theft.
Do we not have order in UG? How can these happen; both persons are lawyers (learned friends?) and should be in position to understand the intention of the retirement entitlements! These are No 2 and 3! Why keep blaming No.1?
Isn’t the speaker also drawing benefits for being ‘Woman MP for Busoga’ as well now as the new international ‘Woman’s’ post she won recently? Just curious!!
Many important issues have been left untouched despite their importance. Today people are raising eyebrows for speaker getting his retirement package for her previous position held. I think the issue would be for the same MPs who raised the issue in the commission to call for the amendment of the law that entitles the two officers for the benefits. Does the retirement law criminalize elements like VP and Speaker for drawing two salaries from the same fund? Our MPs are doing good work but in most cases they have deviated from the right cause. I doubt whether the two big wigs will keep draining the national coffers for those benefits if there was a law that prohibits them. Instead of sorting out such, they are thinking of making the Nationalism law.. hehe.. I wonder whether they are nationalists themselves. When it comes to their benefits, no one will fight/talk. Do you know that these two people have just left those positions but they are already getting their packages but many senior citizens are always flocking public service to no attention for years. Others have even died of poverty yet their benefits are still held at public service!!I hear they are now increasing taxes on fuel. This implies prices of every good and service will go high. The locals will then live a miserable life, many businesses will close, many people will abandon milk consumption coz of hiked prices if the proposal takes effect. Shame upon 99% of the so called MPs of today! I we should start calling them MTs(members of torture). God really help!!!