The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has dismissed claims that he received a Shs650 million service award, describing the allegations as false and a deliberate attempt to divert public attention from a separate payout to members of the Parliamentary Commission.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday morning from his office at Parliament, Ssenyonyi said the accusations were orchestrated to cover up a recent service award of Shs400 million reportedly given to each parliamentary commissioner.
According to Ssenyonyi, the beneficiaries of this latest payout include Prossy Akampulira Mbabazi (Rubanda Woman MP), Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba (Nyendo–Mukungwe MP), Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central MP), and Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman MP).
He alleged that the money was channelled through the Parliamentary Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) to avoid scrutiny.
“This money was apparently meant to support their re-election campaigns. To conceal the transactions, it was routed through the Parliamentary SACCO,” Ssenyonyi claimed. “And to divert attention, they sent out propaganda last week alleging that I, too, received a service award. That is completely false.”
Ssenyonyi added that if any such money were ever sent to his personal account, he would immediately return it, calling the alleged payouts “illegal and irregular.”
“Even if they sent such money to my account, I would instruct my bank to return it right away. That kind of under-the-table money has no place in public service,” he said.
The Opposition leader also said he had lost faith in the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), noting that he would not petition the new IGG, Aisha Naluzze Batala, to investigate the matter.
“I wrote to the former IGG, Beti Kamya, about the first service award and she promised to investigate but never did. I will not write to the current IGG because I know nothing will be done. My role is to hold government accountable,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Parliament, Chris Obore, denied Ssenyonyi’s claims that commissioners received Shs400 million each. He challenged the Opposition leader to substantiate his allegations with evidence.
“Let him present pay slips or documents showing that the service award money was paid out,” Obore said.
The controversy comes amid renewed public scrutiny of parliamentary expenditure and accountability, with critics calling for greater transparency in how public funds are managed.
This is not the first time Parliament has come under fire over a controversial service award. In 2022, then Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga received Shs500 million, while three other Parliamentary Commissioners were each awarded Shs400 million, a move that triggered widespread outrage from the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership and the public.
