Money is not borrowed
The State Minister for Finance Amos lugoloobi has clarified that the budget for the burial of the fallen Speaker of Parliament that leaked recently is a draft.
According to Lugoolobi, the 2.5 billion shillings budget is still subject to review and slashing. The minister also trashed rumours indicating that the government is set to borrow to cater for the burial expenses.
Lugoolobi says the money released was exaggerated to 2.5 billion shillings increasing it by 1.8 billion shillings.
He says various media channels have circulated the wrong figures explaining that it is not a loan but will be retrieved from the consolidated fund. He further says the budget has been heavily scrutinised by many stakeholders to ensure value for money and is available for further scrutiny as releases are being made by the Parliamentary Commission.
“I have noted with concern stories in various media channels, misreporting facts about a statutory revision on vote 104- Parliamentary Commission by UGX 1.8bn to facilitate the burial of the late Rt. Hon Jacob Oulanyah, former Speaker of Parliament of Uganda. I wish to clarify that the request is neither a loan nor a supplementary appropriation request. Parliamentary Commission is a creation of the Constitution; hence eligible for a direct charge of its budget off the consolidated fund.” he wrote on his twitter handle
Lugoolobi has asked the public to access the correct figures from Parliament and not what is being portrayed in media channels.
Money is not borrowed
He says the right budget will cater for all ceremonies leading up to the day of burial of the deceased.
He says part of the money will be diverted towards the ongoing vigil at the residence of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah in Muyenga until his body arrives on Friday April 1st.
On Tuesday a budget amounting to 2.5 billion was released on media channels detailing the tentative list of how the figures will be distributed for the entire burial process, starting from when the body arrives.
below is the leaked budget
Shortly after the budget leaked, the Minister for Presidency Milly Babalanda defended it asking the public not to scrutinize the budget but instead focus on the activities and the status of the Person of the Speaker.
In a tweet on Tuesday morning she wrote; “Regarding the budget for burying Rt. Hon. Oulanyah, what matters is not the figures but the activities involved and status of the deceased. Let us avoid traumatizing the family in this trying time,” She stated.
The lifeless body of the late Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah will touch ground at the Entebbe International Airport on Friday this week via the Ethiopian airlines.
