The Parliament of Uganda has strongly denied allegations that Members of Parliament (MPs) were given UGX 100 million each as a reward for passing the controversial coffee bill.
These accusations were brought forward by the Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, who took to social media to claim that ruling party MPs and some opposition legislators had received financial incentives for their support.
Ssenyonyi alleged that secret monetary transactions took place within Parliament, suggesting that the funds were meant to appreciate MPs for backing the bill and to prepare them for an upcoming amendment to the UPDF Act, which proposes trying civilians in military courts—a move previously struck down by the Supreme Court.
“There is an underground scheme where MPs are reportedly receiving UGX 100 million each as a token for passing the coffee bill. We also understand that this is linked to efforts to push through an amendment allowing civilians to be subjected to military trials. This is a serious betrayal of the people,” Ssenyonyi claimed.
In response, Parliament dismissed these claims, emphasizing that no such payments had been made. A spokesperson clarified that all payments to MPs follow official procedures and are handled through the office of the Clerk to Parliament.
“The allegations circulating on social media are baseless. Parliament only processes statutory payments for MPs, all of which are documented and appear on their payslips. No such payment of UGX 100 million has been authorized or processed,” the spokesperson stated.
