Former ethics and integrity minister, also human rights defender Miria Matembe and Democratic Party president Norbert Mao have rejected their golden jubilee medal.
The medals were given out to over 1000 former members of parliament by President Yoweri Museveni. Initially, the 600 million award ceremony was meant to be held in 2012 to commemorate the golden jubilee of Uganda’s independence but would later be postponed.
Now, Matembe who served in the 6th Parliament, which the president has criticized the most, says they deserve better than just some piece of metals.
DP’s Norbert Mao, and Matembe claim to have brought up the issue of pension payment to MPs, but the president snubbed it, the latter believes, there is no need for him to pretend now, over 2 decades later.
The two are a part of several opposition leaders who snubbed yesterday’s event at Serena hotel in Kampala. Other notable figures are Dr. Kiiza Besigye, his wife Winnie Byanyima and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Moa also termed as nonsensical, a move by president Museveni to introduce a pension fee for former MPs.
He claims they had proposed the same during their term as parliament, but the president snubbed it.
“When we were in the 69th and 7th Parliament, we must have been the parliament that annoyed Museveni the most, especially the 50 of us who rejected the lifting of term limits. We passed a law concerning pensions for those who have served at least 10 years and president Museveni refused to sign that law” he said.
Mao added; “Now I heard him yesterday saying that former MPs are going to get pension, that’s nonsensical, because pension must be based on contribution.”
The 6th parliament which served between 1996 to 2001 is famous for delaying Bujagali dam project, Karuma falls dam project, selling of Uganda Airlines shares to a strategic investor.
In the fight against corruption, the sixth parliament forced 4 ministers out of office. They censured Maj. Jim Muhwezi for alleged influence peddling, Sam Kuteesa for alleged abuse of office, Mathew Rukikaire for fraudulent sale of UCB to none existent Malaysians, and Kirunda Kivejinja for diverting 2,000 litres of fuel from road construction to a dispensary.
