Allegations of excessive spending and questionable financial practices have brought the Speaker’s name into the spotlight, particularly concerning the purportedly lavish per-diems received by her staff.
Accusations have surfaced suggesting that funds allocated for parliament’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have been mismanaged, with money intended for the Speaker’s office passing through the personal accounts of junior staffers and others.
While scrutiny of government institutions is expected, some observers believe that the focus on the Speaker’s office has been disproportionately intense and may be part of a deliberate effort to target her individually.
One of the primary concerns raised involves funds being deposited into the personal accounts of certain junior staff members on behalf of Speaker Anita Among’s CSR activities.
CSR, commonly known as Corporate Social Responsibility, refers to the practice adopted by companies to not only enhance profits but also to actively contribute positively to society. It is often associated with the concept of corporate citizenship.
Despite an allocation of Shs 3.6 billion for CSR activities within the Speaker’s office, these funds are disbursed in cash due to the absence of specific recipients listed in the government’s electronic payment system, EFMIS. Beneficiaries of the Speaker’s CSR budget typically include churches, mosques, schools, women’s groups, and other organizations.
According to sources, these cash disbursements, referred to as CSR initiatives, have also extended to benefiting over 300 Members of Parliament, who occasionally seek financial assistance for personal or constituency-related matters.
The inability to utilize government financial systems like EFMIS is attributed to the diverse nature of the beneficiaries.
“This money is usually distributed in cash, akin to the manner in which President Museveni disburses cash in envelopes. Additionally, many beneficiaries, such as churches, women’s groups, and individuals, are not registered in IFMIS. Consequently, parliament staff withdraw the funds from the bank on behalf of the Speaker and distribute them in cash to various beneficiaries, with meticulous record-keeping,” emphasized an insider at Parliament.
It is worth noting that the Speaker’s office is not the sole entity with a substantial CSR budget; other government institutions also allocate significant funds for CSR activities.
Sources indicate that the Speaker’s office is not the sole recipient of substantial annual budgetary allocations earmarked for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Several other public offices also boast significant budgets dedicated to CSR and community outreach programs.
For instance, State House is allocated a staggering Shs 59 billion annually for community outreach programs, a budget that often gets exhausted before the dispatch of supplementary funds by parliament. Other high-budget offices include allocations for the President (Shs. 77 billion), Vice President (Shs. 4.2 billion), Prime Minister (Shs. 3.7 billion), Deputy Prime Ministers (Shs 954 million each), Government Chief Whip (Shs 1.8 billion), Deputy Speaker (Shs 1.8 billion), National Council for Sports (Shs. 2 billion), among others. Importantly, these budget allocations are meticulously planned and approved by parliament.
The pressing question arises: why is Speaker Among, whose allocation is a fraction of those mentioned, facing such intense scrutiny at this juncture?
