The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Joel Ssenyonyi, has vowed to continue exposing corruption that is roaming within the corridors of the Parliament of Uganda, despite encountering negative reactions and baseless propaganda.
Ssenyonyi made these remarks on his official social media X account on Wednesday, July 18, 2024, stating that the individuals he is accusing of corruption have resorted to using propagandists to discredit his efforts.
“When I started pressing hard about the corruption at Parliament, I knew there would be ramifications such as baseless propaganda. However, I will not be deterred, and I will continue to expose the thieves in Parliament who are misusing taxpayers’ money,” Ssenyonyi said.
He noted that he will remain resolute in his commitment to exposing corruption that has eaten up the August House since Ugandans need to be updated on the state of affairs in the country.
“The people of Uganda deserve to know the truth, and I will not rest until the truth is revealed and those responsible are held accountable,” Ssenyonyi said.
The LOP called for the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, to convene an urgent Parliamentary Commission meeting to address the allegations raised by the public. He, therefore, emphasized that Parliament is accountable to the people of Uganda and that the public has a right to know how their money is being spent.
Ssenyonyi wonders why the Parliamentary Commission quietly holds meetings without informing him, simply because of the shady deals they continue to cut in those meetings.
He, however, advised those involved in spreading propaganda to be consistent with the figure they keep talking about, adding that the Ugx 1.7 billion is being matched with the Ugx 1.7 billion service award.
Ssenyonyi has been at the forefront of demanding accountability and transparency from the parliamentary leadership, particularly the Speaker Among and the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige.
Ssenyonyi said that he wrote to the Inspector General of Government, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and other anti-graft bodies, requesting investigations into allegations of grand corruption, abuse of office, and irregular staff recruitments within Parliament.
The allegations include the awarding of a multi-billion shilling contract to a business linked to the Speaker, questionable per diem expenditures by the Speaker and the Clerk, and the transfer of billions of shillings to the personal accounts of some Parliament staff Parliamentary Holdunder the guise of corporate social responsibility activities.
