Ibrahim Ssemujju (L) exchanges with Henry Musasizi, Minister of State for Finance/Parliament photo
Parliament has approved the Shs288.624Bn supplementary schedule for which; Shs132.634Bn is meant for purchase of shares in the East African Oil Pipeline (EACOP) by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), while Shs152Bn is meant for the construction of the Hoima City Stadium by National Council of Sports in preparation for the 2027 African Cup of Nations.
Speaker Anita Among urged MPs to approve the supplementary request, warning that Uganda is likely to lose its rights to host AFCON as works for the construction of Hoima Stadium has been delayed. She said Kenya and Tanzania have already embarked on their construction projects.
“We won the PAMOJA bid with Kenya and Tanzania, all the other countries are constructing, the only country that is still behind is Uganda. And it is likely that if we don’t move faster, like we moved faster on Namboole, that bid will be taken away from Uganda and that is why you realize today, we have a Supplementary Budget before us that will be laid on table and that Supplementary is based on AFCON. We need money to start the stadium in Hoima and that must be started,” said Among.
The Speaker’s remarks come at the time the Ministry of Finance through Henry Musasizi, Minister of State for Finance tabled the Shs288.624Bn 3rd Supplementary schedule for 2023/24.
The Shs152Bn will be given to the contractor (M/S Summa) as part of the 30% advance payment, in order to enable the commencement of the construction of the stadium, which is meant to be ready before the deadline of 31st December 2025 as required by Confederation of African Football (CAF). The money will be drawn from the Petroleum Fund.
However, before Parliament approved the supplementary request, Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality) castigated Government for exhibiting a high level of fiscal indiscipline by running the national budget through supplementary budgets, saying that had he been the President of Uganda, most of the Ministers involved in these kiosk like supplementary budgets would be serving jail terms at Luzira Maximum Prison.
“If I was in charge, I would send all Ministers to Luzira, 10days ago we passed a supplementary, then after you come with another one, saying wait, we have another one, and you are my Ministers, each one of you would be in Luzira, that is where the warrant of detention will find you,” added Ssemujju.
However, Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa defended the 3rd Supplementary schedule saying some of the items, like acquiring equity in the East African Oil Pipeline hadn’t been known to Government until recently.
