Ssemujju Nganda, the Shadow Minister for Finance, has revealed that Shs. 644 billion of the taxpayer’s money will be spent on the purchase of vehicles for public servants in the Financial Year 2024/25.
Semujju made the revelation during the plenary session on May 16, 2024.
“A total of Shs105, 936,692,069 will be spent on the acquisition of new vehicles to replace old ones and to give to those who qualify. Another Shs.167, 297,891,680 is being proposed for maintenance of the vehicles (all), and Shs.371, 181,787,771 is for fueling them,” Semujju said.
“When you total acquisition, maintenance, and fueling, you arrive at a total of Shs644 billion,” Ssemujju added.
He questioned the choice of public servants given the vehicles, saying that some of them had earlier gotten free vehicles as former leaders.
“Some of those being given vehicles cannot use all of them. For example, under the office of the President, leaders such as Amama Mbabazi and Kiwanuka Ssekandi have been given vehicles, yet they have already benefited from free brand new vehicles as former leaders,” he said.
“Ssekandi actually has a vehicle as a former speaker, a vehicle as a former deputy speaker, a vehicle as a former vice president, and now as a presidential advisor, yet he hardly moves. All these vehicles are fueled, and drivers are provided,” Ssemujju added.
On December 20, 2023, the Speaker of Parliament handed over five brand new Land Cruisers to the former speakers of the August House, who included former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, who also served as a former speaker of parliament from 2001 to 2011.
The first national vice chairman of the NRM, Moses Kigongo, who served as the vice chairman of the NRC, and Edward Rugumayo also received vehicles, not forgetting former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
