By Alexander Luyima
A Concerned Citizen | April 2025

In April 2025, Uganda woke up to reports that Mr. Yoweri Museveni had quietly disbursed Shs100 million (CAD 35,000) to each Member of Parliament as a “token of appreciation.” This occurred while teachers, doctors, and civil servants staged strikes over unpaid wages, hospitals rationed basic supplies, and inflation crippled households. The irony is stark: a leader who once vowed to eradicate corruption now presides over a system where cash handouts to politicians are prioritized over citizens’ survival.

This is not an isolated incident—it is the culmination of a 40-year rule that has strayed far from its liberation ideals. Uganda’s descent into kleptocracy, dynastic rule, and systemic decay demands an unflinching examination of the past, the present, and the urgent steps needed to reclaim the nation’s future.

I. Broken Promises: A Legacy Betrayed

1. 1986 vs. 2025

Then: Museveni’s famous inaugural speech promised “a fundamental change” and condemned “the politics of the stomach.” He vowed to root out corruption and build strong institutions.

Now: Uganda ranks 142 out of 180 on Transparency International’s Corruption Index (2024). The State House budget for “classified expenditures” (read: patronage) ballooned to Shs800 billion in 2024, while education and health budgets were slashed.

2. The NRM’s Original Vision

The 10-Point Program (1986) emphasized democracy, security, and economic independence.

Reality Check: Uganda’s debt stands at $24.6 billion (48% of GDP), with loans funding vanity projects like the $1.2 billion Lubowa Hospital ghost project. MPs earn 20 times the national GDP per capita, yet 42% of Ugandans live below the poverty line.

3. The Monarchy-in-Making

The removal of presidential age limits (2017) and the militarization of politics—evident in Gen. Muhoozi’s political rise—confirm fears of a Museveni dynasty in the making.

II. The Shs100 Million Scandal: A Symbol of Systemic Rot

The Facts

The payments were allegedly coordinated by the Government Chief Whip and Speaker Anita Among, bypassing formal parliamentary channels.

Opposition MPs who received the money were tacitly co-opted, undermining accountability.

The Hypocrisy

In 2023, Museveni condemned “greedy leaders” during the Karamoja iron sheets scandal. Yet now, he rewards MPs with enough cash to buy 50,000 bags of maize for starving Karimojong.

The Fallout

Public trust in Parliament is at an all-time low.

Youth unemployment (64%) fuels desperation, with 78% of Ugandans under 30 believing emigration is their only hope (Afrobarometer 2024).

III. The Way Forward: A Blueprint for Change

1. Immediate Demands

Full Audit: The Auditor General must investigate the Shs100 million disbursements and publish the source of funds.

Resignations: Speaker Anita Among and the Government Chief Whip must step down pending investigations.

2. Structural Reforms

Term Limits Restored: Reinstate presidential term limits and age caps through constitutional amendment.

Anti-Corruption Courts: Fast-track trials for graft cases and enforce asset recovery from the guilty.

3. Economic Justice

Redirect Patronage Funds: The Shs100 million given to 529 MPs (Shs52.9 billion total) could:

Pay 10,000 teachers for a year.

Stock 100 health centers with malaria drugs.

Debt Transparency: Publish all loan agreements and halt non-essential borrowing.

4. The Succession Question

Museveni must renounce dynastic ambitions and commit to a free, fair 2026 election.

Civil society and youth must vet candidates based on merit, not patronage.

IV. A Call to Action

To the Ugandan People:

Document & Expose: Share evidence of corruption via secure platforms like #UgandaLeaks.

Boycott Complicity: Refuse to cheer leaders who weaponize poverty.

To the International Community:

Sanction Enablers: Target banks and offshore accounts holding Uganda’s looted wealth.

Support Civic Spaces: Protect NGOs and journalists uncovering graft.

To Mr. Museveni:

History will judge you not by your years in power but by the ruins or renaissance you leave behind. Step aside with dignity—or be remembered as the man who killed the dream of a prosperous Uganda.

Final Word

Uganda’s salvation lies not in one leader’s epiphany but in the collective courage of its people to demand better. The Shs100 million scandal is a wake-up call. Let’s answer it with unwavering resolve.

#UgandaWeWant | #TimeToGo | #NotToTheBailout

> “The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men.” – Plato

Government & Media:

President’s Office: info@statehouse.go.ug

Parliament of Uganda: clerk@parliament.go.ug

Office of the Speaker: speaker@parliament.go.ug

Media Outlets:

Daily Monitor: news@ug.nationmedia.com | editor@ug.nationmedia.com

New Vision: news@newvision.co.ug

NBS TV: news@nbs.ug

NTV Uganda: news@ntv.co.ug

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC): ucc@ucc.co.ug

Observer Uganda: editor@observer.ug

Bukedde TV: bukedde@newvision.co.ug

Radio Simba: info@radiosimba.ug

Capital FM: capitalfm@capitalradio.co.ug

Your Excellency,

I write this letter not in hatred, but with a deeply burdened heart — as a son of Uganda, a citizen of conscience, and a voice for the millions who have been silenced by the crushing weight of hopelessness and injustice.

Mr. President, the recent reports that Members of Parliament received Shs100 million each as a so-called “token of appreciation” is not only insulting — it is a national betrayal. At a time when our nation is grappling with poverty, underfunded hospitals, unemployed youth, crumbling infrastructure, and a disillusioned civil service, such lavish handouts to legislators are not only shameful, but a deliberate slap in the face of every struggling Ugandan.

You rose to power with the promise of liberation, of justice, and of a people-centered government. You told the world that Africa’s problem was leaders who overstay in power. But now, over 38 years later, your leadership has become the very thing you once condemned. Today, Uganda is riddled with corruption, oppression, fear, and rising inequality — not because the people have failed you, but because those in power have failed the people.

You found Uganda broken but hopeful. Now, it is beaten down and barely holding on. The trust of the people has been eroded, not by foreign enemies, but by the insatiable greed of internal actors. The idea that MPs needed a bailout during tough times is a cruel mockery to the average Ugandan who can’t afford school fees, hospital bills, or even a decent meal. Who bails out the mother giving birth on a hospital floor? Who appreciates the teacher walking miles to teach in overcrowded classrooms?

Mr. President, the signs are clear. Your continued hold on power, your disregard for constitutionalism, and your grooming of your son for succession point not to a leader committed to democracy, but one determined to turn our beloved Uganda into a monarchy. And this must be called what it is — a dangerous path that undermines every value you once stood for.

I implore you: let history remember you not as the man who clung to power at all costs, but as one who rose above personal ambition and chose the good of the nation. Uganda has potential — and it needs fresh leadership, visionary thinkers, and leaders who are accountable to the people, not to their inner circles.

Mr. President, it is not too late. Use this final chapter of your political journey to make things right. Help usher in a peaceful transition. Inspire the next generation not by the length of your reign, but by the wisdom of your exit.

Uganda deserves better. And we, her children, are ready to build that better future.

Sincerely,
Alexander Luyima
Director of Community Programs and Information
African Descent Ontario (ADSON)
Concerned and Patriotic Ugandan