President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly approved sharpshooters and amoured escort vehicles for the country’s 456 lawmakers. This was soon after a ruling party lawmaker and his bodyguard were shot dead on June 8.
Critics have termed the planned spending as wasteful and failed to address security concerns of normal citizens who fear rampant crime in a country marked by unsolved murders, waves of kidnappings for ransom, burglaries and robberies.
In a letter to the finance minister seen by Reuters on Thursday, Museveni said the decision to boost security was taken after a meeting with members of parliament in which incidents of “criminality and terrorism” were discussed.
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“Members of parliament … have been singled out for intimidation and possibly attack. I have, therefore, decided to protect the members of parliament … since they are being singled out,” he said.
If things go as planned, lawmakers would now be accompanied by military sharp-shooters as Museveni has ordered the finance ministry to purchase armoured pick-up trucks to use as escort vehicles.
Uganda’s civil societies have accused the government of wasteful spending and failing to reign in corruption.
“Ordinary Ugandans are being taxed heavily to meet wasteful expenditure of politicians,” said Cissy Kagaba, executive director of Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU).
“Security should be guaranteed for every Ugandan not for a few selected people … it’s pathetic and annoying,” she said.
Parliament spokesman Chris Obore denied the spending was wasteful, describing it as a “short term measure” to meet credible threats.