Ssenyonyi trapped in Parliament money saga

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi has written to the government’s top accountability and anti-graft bodies, formally asking them to investigate allegations of grand corruption and abuse of office in Parliament.

But his quest for a full accounting may have run into headwinds after it emerged on Thursday afternoon that he had himself requisitioned per diem for a five-day trip to Nairobi, Kenya totalling, $4,250 (Shs16.3 million at current rates), and yet he was out of the country for only one day. If proven, the LoP could find himself at the receiving end of the very questions he wants the implicated House leadership to respond to.

Mr Ssenyonyi had on Thursday morning revealed he wrote to the Inspector General of Government, Ms Beti Kamya; Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Jane Frances Abodo; the Office of the Auditor General, and the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) two days ago on March 20.

His letters reference information widely shared on social media, part of which he said was sourced from the government’s central payment system, crowning an eventful fortnight within which Parliament’s leadership has come under sustained public scrutiny.

Speaking during a media briefing in his office boardroom at Parliamentary Buildings, the LoP indicated the letters strengthen the ongoing push for accountability in respect of how billions of shillings were spent.

In the letters, he wants Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among; Clerk to Parliament, Mr Adolf Mwesige, and other House staff to respond to a range of questions touching on their suspected complicity in the abuse. 

Included would be responses to allegations of suspected embezzlement, alleged misuse of parliamentary privileges for personal gain, questionable multimillion service awards to House commissioners and reports of possible irregular recruitment of staff.

Additionally, there is a demand to clarify whether a multibillion contract reportedly awarded to a business linked to the Speaker followed public procurement regulations.

Aspects of the allegations have been in the public domain for nearly a month after a civic consciousness lobby offloaded troves of documents under the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition on social media platform, X.

“Given the gravity of these allegations and the potential repercussions on our democratic system and public welfare, I urge you to initiate a thorough and impartial investigation into these matters as provided under Sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Inspector General of Government Act,” Mr Ssenyonyi wrote to the IGG.

“Your office as the custodian of integrity and accountability in government, plays a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those in positions of power are held accountable for their actions,” the March 20 letter adds.

The LoP’s letter was written on the same day Ms Kamya announced she was withdrawing her plans, declared days earlier on March 5 to probe reports of graft in Parliament.

The ombudsman of government cited an ongoing parallel investigation by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) as a reason for her withdrawal.

Ms Kamya yesterday confirmed receiving Mr Ssenyonyi’s March 20 letter, which she said contains information in the public domain, and which had in the first place prompted her to announce a probe.

“I already said that we shall investigate, but then I learnt that the OAG was already there. This is how we work; we have a collaboration. And if somebody has already started an investigation when you all go there you crowd the investigation because you are all probably looking for the same thing,” she said, adding that; “You will ask for a document and they will tell you it has been taken”.

Therefore, she said, “You let someone go in and then you can find your angle… we always come in after the Auditor General’s report. Parliament is an institution which we respect, but that does not stop us from doing our work.” 

Mr Ssenyonyi was, however, sceptical as to whether the OAG will not find itself compromised by the possibility of a conflict of interest.  By law, OAG staff already conduct statutory annual audits of Parliament.

But under Article 164(4) of the Constitution, the Auditor General shall submit to Parliament annually a report of accounts of all public offices, and that includes Parliament.

Also, while under sub-Articles (6) and (7) of the same constitutional provision, the OAG in performing his or her functions, shall not be under the direction or control of any person or authority, there is an exception where the President, acting on the advice of Cabinet, requires the OAG to audit any public accounts.

The checks and balances around the OAG’s independence also have to contend with sub-Article (9) of Article 164, which says the accounts of the Office of the Auditor General shall be audited and reported upon by an auditor appointed by Parliament.

In his letter to the OAG, Mr Ssenyonyi thus said that “…in this regard, there is a concern that the audit team will not get to the bottom of all the issues that ought to be investigated. I urge you to reconstitute the team, and better yet to instead carry out a forensic audit that will help to unearth all the accountability issues at Parliament”.

Efforts by Daily Monitor to reach the OAG for comment were futile by press time yesterday.

Separately, Mr Ssenyonyi has asked the FIA to investigate large monetary transactions and transfers of funds involving accounts of members and staff of Parliament; suspected misuse of public funds for personal gain; and, use of private bank accounts to receive huge sums of public funds purportedly intended to undertake parliamentary work

The FIA is the government’s central agency mandated to receive Suspicious Transactions Reports; Large Cash Transactions Reports mainly from financial institutions, and information about cross border movement of cash.  These reports are analysed to, among others, identify proceeds of crime, combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Information collected is then handed over to competent authorities, including the police, to enforce the laws. 

It is not clear how the FIA is dealing with the LoP’s letter as attempts to reach the authority’s executive director, Mr Samuel Wandera, throughout yesterday were unsuccessful.

The allegations in brief

Speaker Among’s per diem

According to figures released by the LoP, the Speaker was allocated $4,000 in per diem (daily foreign travel allowance) contrary to the $990 she is entitled to. The allegations also point to the possibility of drawing per diem for foreign travel without actually leaving the country.

Mr Ssenyonyo also laid out figures suggesting up to Shs2.6 billion was allocated to Ms Among for 146 days, averaging Shs18.2 million per day. “We do not believe that the Speaker travelled for all these days…...what it would mean was that last year, she was away for half the year. That is not true.

The Speaker is always here, and even when she will go away there is a time she had twins and two weeks later, she was back to presiding over the House. So, there is no evidence to show that the Speaker was away for half the year..,” he said at the press briefing.

According to the breakdown, Ms Among would have been paid Shs499 million for 30 days annual leave, and Shs494 million for 30 days of bi-annual holiday. Her husband, Budiope East MP Hashim Magogo was reportedly allocated Shs82 million for the same holiday. There is also Shs1.14 billion for 73 days in Kenya, Shs98 million for four days in Italy and Shs106 million for seven days in Kigali.

According to the LoP’s brief shared with journalists, there are questionable trips where the beneficiaries appear to have been in two different places on the same day.

 LoP Ssenyonyi’s per diem

At yesterday’s briefing, Mr Ssenyonyi said he had refunded the extra per diem which he said was irregularly allocated to him for a trip to Nairobi to visit ailing Kawempe North MP and fellow National Unity Platform party member, Mr Mohammad Ssegirinya.

“I saw a reflection on my account; they had processed money for five days as opposed to one day, which I had indicated that I was going for but I was told they were processing for several others, and it was done collectively.

“I was there for one night, so I shouldn’t be paid for five days but that process was delayed and so the money wasn’t deducted off the March 2024 emolument and I was told it would be deducted off the April 2024 emoluments,” he said.

However, hours later a letter seen by this publication, and stamped by the Office of the Speaker, revealed that Mr Ssenyonyi had, in fact, asked to be away from January 1 to January 5, 2024.

The receiving office then directed the Clerk to Parliament to facilitate his travel. In a request to the Clerk dated January 31, Mr Ssenyonyi requisitioned for $4,250 and $900 for a business class air ticket.

The requisition, according to the letter, was stamped by the Clerk on February 1, and a directive made to the House director for finance to facilitate the LoP and his delegation.

Efforts to reach Mr Ssenyonyi to shed light on this turn in events were futile last night. And Mr Chris Obore, the director for communication and public affairs of Parliament, was non-committal, saying only:  «What I know is that it is the Speaker who approves the foreign travel of all MPs and the Clerk to Parliament is the one who facilitates financially. Mr Obore also said the House department of finance only pays for the days indicated on a travel request ion.

Clerk to Parliament Mwesige per diem

Mr Mwesige faces similar accusations. For nine trips in seven months, he was allocated Shs263 million.

He yesterday said many times when he travelled for duty, Parliament had no money, so he would be paid arrears. 

Questionable staff hires, money transfers

The anti-graft bodies have been asked to investigate illegal recruitments, and wiring of billions of shillings to private accounts of staff of Parliament purportedly meant for Corporate Social Responsibility activities of Ms Among.

Tabulations shared showed that accounts belonging to Mr Daniel Adilo (assistant director/HR) received Shs2.1 billion in a period of eight months; Mr Okwi Emmanuel Emuron (principal protocol officer) Shs1.1 billion; Mr Leonard Okema (executive secretary to the Speaker) Shs4.5 billion and Ms Ranny Ismail (director Dept of Leader of Government Business) Shs4.4 billion.

All these transactions fall between January 2023 and February 2024.  Mr Obore, who in the brief allegedly received Shs1.7 billion on behalf of the Speaker, yesterday said the burden of proof lies with those alleging. Weeks ago, Mr Obore admitted to money having been wired through private accounts of staff – which is contrary to public accounting regulations.

 Mama Bukedea FM

Another contentious area of investigation according to Ssenyonyi’s brief is a Shs3.1 billion contract between Mama Bukedea FM and Parliament. The contract was allegedly signed by staff in the Speaker’s office who were reportedly indicated as managers of the radio located in her constituency.

“Were procurement regulations followed in awarding this contract? ...How is it that staff in her office are the ones signing the contract as managers of her radio station?” the LoP brief states.

Parliament response...

Ms Anita Annet Among, Speaker of Parliament.

At the close of last week on Friday, March 15, the Speaker was adamant she would not respond to allegations being pushed by foreign interests -- who she said are targeting her for the role she played in leading the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in May 2023.  A few hours later, while speaking in her home area, Ms Among suggested that the cash bonanza saga has been fuelled by her political enemies; people envious that she is the Speaker, and who want the office for themselves.

Mr Chris Obore, director communications and public affairs.

We do not want to compete in propaganda machinations. It is a pity for one to generate their own propaganda and believe in it then forcefully want everyone else to believe in it. The government does not work in a kangaroo style. It works systematically within structures. In this case, the accusers are the complainants, prosecutors and judges. No! That can only happen in political parties where they rush matters and dish out summary executions.

Mr Adolf Mwesige, Clerk to Parliament

The [Auditor General] is already working; auditing all these issues. It is a constitutional duty to audit the Parliamentary Commission

Reported By Elizabeth Kamurungi, Esther Oluka And Priscilla Maloba.