Kenyans have been up in arms after MPs approved to be paid a monthly 250k house allowance despite being give a 20 million mortgage. Our MPs believe they are entitled to millions of money because they are State officers.
Well, it seems is not only Kenyan MPs that are demanding obnoxious allowances, in Uganda, the Parliament has just approved a decision to buy Data bundles for lawmakers.
Last year, Uganda passed a law for citizens to pay over the Top Taxes Services popularly known as social media tax because President Museveni believed Wananchi were using the internet to spread gossip and insults.
But the MPs have now approved a decision to get free bundles and also to be exempted from the controversial social media tax. The Parliament will now spend more than Ush190 million (Ksh 5.1million) to give free data to the lawmakers.
What can one say? They pass unfair taxes against the poor people and demand that the poor people pay those unfair taxes for them! Last year when we protested against the OTT tax many colleague MPs came out to defend it. What a shame.
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) May 16, 2019
And it is not only that, the lawmakers of Uganda are entitled to free iPads. The MPs argue that this is one of the ways to bring them closer to Wananchi.
In a statement, the clerk to parliament said the decision to pay OTT and internet bundles was one of the ways to bring MPs closer to their constituents.
MPs in @Parliament_Ug pass OTT tax, then the House gets into a deal with @mtnug to provide 5GB internet & pay OTT for every MP every month, & then you call us defying the tax unpatriotic! They passed it, & the poor citizens are the ones paying it. If this is not BS, then what is?
— Andrew Mwanguhya (@TheLoveDre) May 15, 2019
“The parliament of Uganda provides Members of Parliament with iPads to facilitate their connectivity regardless of their location as part of parliament’s bid to bring the institution closer to people,” the statement by the Clerk to Parliament said.
“This is the spirit of digital transformation and of being a green and paperless legislature.”
Uganda has 458 Members of Parliament and each of them will now be getting 5GB Monthly data and OTT worth around worth USh 6000. Parliament will now be spending Ksh 458,000 on the new allowance for the lawmakers.
Bobi wine said he would do away with OTT to improve fiscal policy you mocked him.
MPs now want you to pay their OTT. I think you now get it…..— Guma zaa man (@GumaMarvo) May 16, 2019
In the statement, the Clerk to Parliament explained that since the introduction of social media tax, legislators would not access some sites for information needed for their day today legislation work.
“The affected social media sites are instrumental in their social media presence for both institution and its members and bridging the gap with the public. Members have also been using the affected sites to access information crucial to their research and day to day communication activities at parliament.”
Firebrand opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi was last month arrested and charged with leading a demonstration against the social media tax which these MPs passed. They now believe they should not pay.