By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA:
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has sent sincere warnings to President YK Museveni to stop popping his nose into the works of parliamentary select committee to probe into alleged mismanagement of over Shs 30 billions COVID-19 vaccines manufucturing by Dr. Monica Musenero.
“If Museveni did not partake of this money, let him not yell at parliament. He should if it is in his interest ask to appear before the committee to explain his participation,” FDC said.
The remarks were made by the party spokesperson Hon. Ssemujju Nganda during the party weekly press briefing on Monday at Najjanankumbi Kampala.
Dr. Musenero who is the minister of Science Technology and Innovations is apparently in spotlights after a whistleblower alleged that she mismanaged 30b shillings that was meant for manufucturing of COVID-19 vaccines.
According to a whistleblower, Musenero in her capacity as a presidential advisor on epidemics, selected a group of scientists and researchers to develop strategies on how science, technlogy and innovation could be deployed to get a solution to COVID-19.
It is alleged that she subsequently formed Preside, which was reportedly allocated Shs 32billion by the president. But, to the whistleblower’s and public dismay, no tangible results have been achieved by now.
Despite lack of results from the given Shs 32 billion, Minister Musenero asked parliament to give her another additional shillings 50b through supplementary for vaccine manufucturing.
A fortnight ago, the Ntungamo municipality member of parliament, Hon. Yona Musinguzi reignited similar accusations of minister Musenero’s mismanagement of COVID-19 vaccines cash prompting the deputy speaker of parliament, Rt. Hon. Annet Anitah Amongi to constitute a select committee to probe into the allegations.
This however started with strong opposition from the president who warned that he would go for anyone attempting to attack his scientist Dr. Musenero who reports have established is a veterinary doctor incapacitated to manufucture human drugs and an embezzler.
“You have no right to attack a decorated officer,” Museveni warned the committee during the World Science Day celebrations at Kololo ceremonial grounds.
In response to the presidential warnings, FDC has urged that government is using a shaky policy on COVID-19 vaccination programme questioning the expenditure of the money Museveni and his proclaimed decorated scientist are requesting for manufucturung of invisible vaccines.
“We are concerned that COVID is being turned into an enterprise to make money by Museveni and his agents, with the lack of clarity on vaccines procurement and manufucturing,” Ssemujju added
“Throughout this pandemic, Museveni has been insisting that Uganda will manufucrure its own vaccines and handed in UShs 31 billion to his newly found lovely minister of Sscience and Technology Dr. Musenero to go and manufucture vaccines for Uganda.
FDC maintains that supplementary budget under the Public Finance Management Act, 2015, it is supposed to be for unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, but President Museveni and his minister Musenero act of requesitioning additional supplementary is not unavoidable therefore, an indiscipline act of blackmailing people not following the budget.
On this Supplemantary Budget, Musenero wants another Ugx 50b for vaccine manufucturing.
The 31b is already gone and she is requesting for another 50b in this emergence window of financing yet in the budget,shillings 560 billion were budgeted for to buy vaccines.
This FDC urges is turning covid into a government business. They noted that with the vaccine donations from western countries, Uganda may not need the shillings 560 billion which was included in the budget to buy drugs.
“Museveni said by December Uganda will have received 7 vaccines that can vaccinate 11 million people inorder to hit the a projection target of 23million vaccinated people,”
“Through donations, we may not need the shillings 560b, government is turning COVID into an enterprise because it is easier to blackmail parliament and the population on these funds.”
