04 march 2018, Kampala — Members of Parliament yesterday rejected a proposal by Ministry of Energy officials to approve a Shs106b supplementary budget to pay companies generating thermal power.
About Shs45b of the said money has already been spent by the said officials and they went to Parliament to seek approval retrospectively.
But MPs doubted the officials’ explanations and rejected the supplementary request approval.
The Energy Ministry officials were led by State Minister for Energy Simon D’ujanga. MPs, however, declined.
“The whole thing is messy,” Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi said.
Earlier, deputy speaker Jacob Oulanya queried why the government was seeking many supplementary budgets to fund other needs of the country and not one that would help the people of northern Uganda who are suffering from nodding disease.
“I thought we are generating enough power ourselves to meet our electricity demands,” Mr. Oulanya said.
“Supplementary for this, supplementary that but no supplementary to help the people of northern Uganda,” Mr. Oulanya told NTV.
The officials were sent back and directed to return with clearer explanations.
The MPs agreed to approve the only Shs10billion.
*The Monitor
