Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi has reignited controversy at Parliament after accusing four Parliamentary Commissioners, among them former Opposition Leader Mathias Mpuuga of quietly awarding themselves another hefty cash payout worth Shs 400 million each.
Ssenyonyi claims the commissioners — Mpuuga, Solomon Silwany, Esther Afoyochan and Prossy Akampulira Mbabazi allegedly processed the money through the Parliamentary SACCO in a bid to conceal the transaction and avoid public scrutiny.
“I have been reliably informed that some weeks back, the four commissioners of Parliament received a second service award of Shs 400m each, which was channeled through the Parliamentary SACCO so as to avoid having a clear paper trail,” Ssenyonyi said.
The funds, he says, were reportedly meant to boost their political activities ahead of the 2026 general elections.
According to Ssenyonyi, whispers about the payout emerged weeks ago, but efforts were made to keep the matter under wraps.
He further said some individuals linked to the commissioners had attempted to drag his name into the saga by spreading rumours that he too benefitted from the said funds.
“It appears the strategy was to muddy the waters by claiming I also received this money. That information is false,” Ssenyonyi noted, adding that he has not received any such “service award” and would immediately return it if ever deposited on his account.
The new claims come less than a year after a similar “service award” scandal rattled Parliament, when Mpuuga and three ruling party commissioners received Shs 500 million each. The fallout from that episode cost Mpuuga his role as Leader of the Opposition and strained ties with the National Unity Platform (NUP), ultimately prompting him to leave the party and form the Democratic Front.
The latest allegations have once again put Parliament’s internal accountability mechanisms under the spotlight, raising fresh questions about transparency in the institution’s financial decisions. Parliament had not issued an official response by press time.