Parliament has today handed over chauffeur-driven vehicles to former parliament speakers following the 2022 amendments in the Parliamentary Pension Act that expanded the list of beneficiaries to all Speakers of Parliament since 1979. The speaker Anita Among delivered the vehicles that cost parliament 4.2bn to her four predecessors while Rebecca Kadaga didn’t attend the event.
The 2022 amendment of the Parliamentary Pension Act shows former speakers of parliament who had been left out by the Parliamentary Pensions Act of 2011 brought in the bracket of beneficiaries of both monetary and non-monetary retirement benefits.
Today former speakers of the house, including Prof. Edward Rugumayo, Francis Butagira, Alhajj Moses Kigongo, and Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi have received their chauffeur-driven vehicles from parliament as their retirement benefits. The Speaker Among has revealed that Parliament will be giving the former Speakers new cars every five years, & Parliamentary Commission will incur the cost of fuel, maintenance & pay salaries of these drivers.
While handing over the new wheels to former speakers, Among applauded them for their remarkable contribution to the country.
Among applauded members of parliament who supported amendments in the Pensions Act to facilitate former speakers and challenged former parliaments who did not see value in honoring former leaders. Meanwhile, the former speaker of parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga did not show up to receive her Land Cruiser VXR
According to the Parliamentary Pension Act, a retired Speaker is entitled to a monthly allowance equivalent to sixty percent of the salary of the sitting Speaker of Parliament. On top of that, he/she is also entitled to a four-wheel chauffeur-driven car with a cubic capacity of 3500 to 4000, two security guards, two domestic staff, medical care for the retired Speaker and the spouse or spouses, and an allowance equivalent to thirty-three currency points per month (Shs660,000) for utilities.
However, there are scenarios where some people are entitled to multiple pensions like Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi who served in another big capacity of Vice Presidency. Mululi Mukasa the minister of public service says they are in the process of amending the law to cure this anomaly.
According to the commissioner of parliament, Solomon Silwany each of the six vehicles cost parliament Shs700m to bring the total cost of the procurement to 4.2bn. People entitled to these cars include; President Museveni, Chairman of NRC 1896-1996, Edward Rugumayo Speaker and Chairman NCC from 1979-19 80, Francis Butagira 1980-1985, Al Haji Moses Kigongo, Vice Chairman NRC 1986-1996, Edward Ssekandi 1998-2001 Deputy Speaker and Speaker of 7th and 8th Parliament and Rebecca Kadaga Speaker of 9th and 10th Parliament.
