NUP proposes Shs100m for ex-Speaker’s burial

The leadership of Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, has called for a further slashing of the budget for the burial of former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.

According to the NUP leaders, Shs100m would give Oulanyah a decent burial.

Addressing the media at their headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala yesterday, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the party spokesperson, attributed the slashing of the money to the “noise” that was made by the general public, urging them to continue raising their voices on other matters.

“I think Ugandans have now seen how important their voices are. It is not clear how a burial can cost Shs2.5b of the taxpayers’ money. It is good it has been reduced but we think this can be reduced even further,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.

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Although Mr Ssenyonyi did not mention the ideal figure that would befit Oulanyah send-off, his deputy, Mr Alex Mufumbiro, said at least Shs100m would give the fallen Speaker a proper burial without plundering resources.

“In our African setting, when a person dies, people come up with contributions and we expected that the MPs would open up a book for contributions towards the burial of the Speaker. If there were any shortages, the government would chip in but a budget of Shs100m would be good for a decent burial,” Mr Mufumbiro said.

The budget has already been slashed twice from the original Shs2.5b, which was exclusively covered by this publication last week, sparking countrywide debate. The figure was reduced to Shs1.8b, then to the current amount of Shs1.2b.

Government cited “unnecessary expenditure” for cutting the budget to where it is at the moment.

In the original budget, the big-ticket expenditure items included burial day (Shs1.1b), A-Plus Funeral Management (Shs226m), Acholi Parliamentary Group (Shs313m), finance committee (Shs248.7m), security (Shs158.5m), and fuel (Shs124m).

ALSO READ: IGG moves to investigate Oulanyah burial cash bonanza

On Monday evening, organisers of the State funeral for the former Speaker were relieved after Parliament confirmed that the long-awaited Shs1.2b for the burial expenses had been deposited to its bank account.

In his address, Mr Mufumbiro claimed that many of the people who are close to the organisation of this ceremony have taken advantage of the situation for personal gain.

“We need as the country to learn from this incident that we need to work on our health care system.

That will help us not burden the already impoverished taxpayers from giving away money to people in the name of organising funerals of high-ranking officers who have died from abroad,” he said.

ALSO READ: Inside Shs2.5 billion budget for Oulanyah’s state burial

When contacted for a comment, Parliament’s director of communication, Mr Chris Obore,  said: “I dont want to cheapen the farewell for a man whom the country respects so much and if it is the position NUP to cheapen it, that is theirs. Our resolution as Parliament and government is to provide the Speaker emeritus a decent send-off. We don’t want to be derailed by this talk of money.  We request them to allow us to mourn. They can mock but let them have respect for us who feel the pain. ”