MP chased from burial ceremony over mobile money tax vote
Bunyole West Member of Parliament, James Waluswaka. Photo credit: Parliament of Uganda
What you need to know:
- Mr John Owori, one of the residents, said since the introduction of the controversial tax, “Waluswaka has been ashamed of visiting his constituency.”
- Mr Waluswaka said though locals accuse him of supporting the tax without consulting them, there was no adequate time given to MPs to consult with their electorates.
BUTALEJA- Angry mourners on Monday chased away Bunyole West Member of Parliament, James Waluswaka, from the burial ceremony of one of his constituents over his views on the recently approved Mobile Money tax.
The lawmaker had turned up at Mugulu-Busolwe Sub-County headquarters, where mourners were paying their last respects to Yokonan Were, a father to the Butaleja District Planner, Sam Taata.
But before Mr Waluswaka could get out of his vehicle, hardly 100 metres from the venue, mourners swarmed on him accusing him of supporting the tax without consulting them.
“We expected him to vote against the tax but he betrayed us; we no longer want him to address us,” the mourners chorused, also accusing him of ‘lying’ when he said on the floor of Parliament that his constituents support the tax.
Mr Waluswaka is infamously remembered for advising Ugandans to ‘die’ if they don’t want to pay mobile money and social media taxes.
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“If you don’t want to pay tax, just die! We are tired of these loans and grants from European countries,” Mr Waluswaka was quoted in the media as saying in July.
Mr John Owori, one of the residents, said since the introduction of the controversial tax, “Waluswaka has been ashamed of visiting his constituency.”
“We were surprised to see him voting in favour of the tax, giving wrong information that we gave him a go-ahead to support the tax,” Mr Owori said.
Mr Waluswaka said though locals accuse him of supporting the tax without consulting them, there was no adequate time given to MPs to consult with their electorates.
“I would have come and explained to my people but we were not given enough time to do so,” he told the mourners who had blocked his vehicle from moving any further.
