The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
God is watching as MPs cruise in Shs200 million vehicles to burials of unvaccinated voters who die of COVID-19
COMMENT | MICHAEL WOIRA | We are at a time when everyone is seated at home; very worried and sad, because they are not working and they are financially out of funds to run their day today life. Ever since government declared a lockdown last year 2020, very many people lost jobs and even this year when a second lockdown was declared, some people lost jobs because their employers are required to have at most only 10% of their workers on duty.
As we are here crying and praying to God that the situation gets better and we get back to normalcy, some people are totally not affected by the lockdown. They are enjoying life to the fullest and earning their huge salaries and allowances as many of their voters are now jobless and hungry at home.
Just recently, the government through the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Gender embarked on a mission to at least send some relief funds to the vulnerable people. Very many people received the money and have used it to buy some food and other basic needs for themselves. It was a very nice initiative though many of the members of parliament were against it.
Just this week, a few of us were left in shock after parliament released Shs200 million to each of the 529 members of parliament to buy cars. During such a moment of time when we don’t even have money to procure vaccines for all Ugandans, at this moment that we don’t even have enough Covid-19 testing kits so that the country carries out mass testing and vaccination, at such a time when people are jobless, seated at home hungry without food. It’s a wow to our parliament. We have really understood that parliament is there for the common person.
Yes, it’s their constitutional right to have cars and its government to purchase for them these cars which is very fine but at such a time really? I have been seeing several staff from the Ministry of Health being questioned on several committees of parliament about the COVID-19 funds. But again the people who have been questioning others about the COVID-19 funds are the very people who received Shs200 million each to buy cars as if all this time they have been using wheel barrows and their feet to access parliament.
During campaigns and on several talkshows I have had chance to debate with so many people from the opposition but all they were telling listeners was that they deserved better members of parliament who cannot go to represent their own interests but interests of the people. After getting elected, at this moment; when the people are suffering, the new members of parliament are busy minding about their own interests.
Very disappointing.
Is this why we voted?
Is this the result of our voting?
Why should we bother voting ever again?
Where are those politicians who were saying very many things about tax payers’ money just months ago during campaigns?
Do we need any further convincing that politicians putting on red, yellow, blue, green, etc are cut from the same useless cloth and that voting is just a complete waste of time?
If this is the kind of thing happening so early in their terms of office, what will happen to our country by the time they are done?
Is there nobody in charge who can put an end to this madness?