Acholi MPs: Reinstate Oulanyah burial cash

Members of Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) have demanded that the budget for the burial of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, which has been slashed to Shs1.2b, should be reinstated to the original Shs1.8b approved by Parliament. 

The government last night, however, accused the group of “politicking” and gave assurances that the assigned Shs1.2b --- which is an estimate --- will cover all essentials to accord the ex-Omoro County legislator a decent send-off. 

The national organising committee for the State burial, which is headed by Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, initially budgeted for Shs2.5b for funeral expenses. 

ALSO READ: Govt cuts Oulanyah burial budget again

However, when this newspaper last Monday exposed the expenditure items, including allowances for committee members, Shs313m for APG and more than Shs120m for fuel alongside Shs1.1b to be spent on the actual day of interment, the government cut the budget first to Shs1.8b and two days later, to the current Shs1.2b. 

“Somebody is trying to reduce the budget, trying to reduce figures so that they can get something and use for their own things, while things that are serious, preparation at home is not being taken care of.  If the State cannot give a State burial to the fallen speaker, let the people of Uganda bury the Speaker, APG chairman Anthony Akol said at an emergency press conference last evening. 

The lawmakers from Acholiland --- Oulanyah’s home area --- accused the Ms Babalanda-led national organising committee tasked to oversee a decent send-off for the ex-Omoro County MP, of failing to release money for funeral preparations and questioned its “seriousness”. 

“We can call people from northern Uganda, from Uganda to contribute [money] to bury the Speaker. We are here praising him, but down there [in Oulanyah’s village] doing another thing all together. That is our concern. And who has the right to reduce the budget approved by Parliament? Who has a right?” Mr Akol, who represents Kilak North Country in the 11th Parliament, said. 

He added: “The budget had been approved at Shs1.8 billion and you go and sit on your desk and reduce it to Shs1.2 billion! You even change the figures the way you want.  You look at where you can benefit instead of looking at what can make us have a decent send off for our brother, the fallen hero of this country.” 

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It is not clear who took the final decision on the budget reduction to Shs1.2b, but Finance Minister in charge of General Duties, Henry Musasazi, last Thursday told this newspaper that the changes in the allocations were because “that is what we can find”. 

In an interview last night, Information minister and government spokesman, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, in reference to the proclamations by the Acholi MPs, said “some of these people want to play politics out of the Speaker’s [demise and] burial”. 

“The budget was revised downwards to cater essentials and the government will fully fund the burial and accord Speaker Oulanyah a decent send-off. There should be no cause to worry. The state will fund the burial as planned. And let our brother, Oulanyah’s, burial not be used for politicking,” he said. 

According to Dr Baryomunsi, and contrary to the claims by APG, money had been released to cater for the welfare of the Bwola dancers who were ferried from northern Uganda and performed the royal warrior dance at the arrival of Oulanyah’s body at Entebbe International Airport on Friday and again at his home in Muyenga, a Kampala suburb for the wealthy. 

ALSO READ: Faces behind Oulanyah’s burial

At the press conference at Parliament, MP Akol has said that the Bwola dancers were in distress due to lack of food and transport, adding that they were huddled three to six in a room for accommodation. 
“I am very disappointed with what is happening. I least expected this (issue) to come at this moment.

The issue of adjustment of the budget is hurting us so much. Even the adjusted budget that we are talking about now, if we are to look critically, whether really the will and commitment to put things in reality, action on the ground, you will realise that there is a lot that is missing,” said Ms Catherine Lamwaka, the Omoro District Woman MP.

She said levelling of the road works to Oulanyah’s home and clearing of compound and prayer grounds have stalled due to cash crisis, which has prompted APG members to help where they can.

 “[The National Organising Committee is] here budgeting fuel for VVIPs to go for burial and, yet we cannot allocate fuel to clear the ground. It is very unfortunate. So, I am disappointed in the manner in which the budget is being cut. This is the last thing that we are doing to then Rt Honourable Oulanyah and let us do it sincerely from our hearts,” she said.  

The expenses for Oulanyah’s funeral and burial have turned into a polarising public affairs matter, leading to sustained national discourses, because the allocation of the initial Shs2.5b coincided with the Ministry of Health sending hundreds of unpaid health workers, who had risked at the frontline fighting against Covid-19 pandemic, leading critics to question government priorities. 

In addition, the law provides that the expenses for the burial of a speaker who dies in office shall be met using 30 percent of the gross annual salary of the speaker that Information minister Baryomunsi, citing computations by Parliament, said would amount to about Shs60m. 

Minister Babalanda, whom the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Betty Aol asked to stop delegating and “running away all the time from her responsibilities”, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

“Is this [state burial] not a duty that should be given as a priority? This is very frustrating. She needed to have taken the mantle herself also to listen to us,” Ms Aol said. 

In a tweet at 7:09pm, shortly after the Acholi MPs’ press conference ended, Minister Babalanda tweeted: “I am following the concerns of Acholi MPs on welfare at the vigils of Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah. Parliament is fully responsible for service providers. The MPs should get in touch with the Clerk to Parliament to resolve the matter. BMB.”

Mr Akol said if by mid-day today the national organising committee does not give them money (to help run and manage funeral arrangements) or don’t receive any contribution from President Museveni, then, the group will find another way.

“If the two sources (of money) do not come in, we will tell Ugandans to contribute for the burial,” he said.