

‘Rebecca Kadaga, a parliamentary speaker turned travel queen’ – Frank Gashumba
Of recent, media has been awash with stories of exorbitant and extravagant expenditures by our parliament that have made the public run a mock. The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has since launched war against the media, over what she calls unfair and biased reporting. Her efforts have been complemented by the enigmatic Chris Obore who has had a go at both the media and the public.
The only crime the media has committed is informing the public of what is happening in and around parliament. I however don’t want to degenerate into the messy but hinged issues surrounding our parliament. Let me concentrate on the speaker of our august house.


Frank Gashumba
On the 30th of August, Kadaga locked her office at parliament and flew to USA to attend the UNNA convention. Reliable sources however quoted the number at 78 MPs, a whopping Ugx 2bn was spent, which has since been denied. After the UNAA convention, Kadaga proceeded to UK for the UK convention. She later came back only to be welcomed by an angry public to which she unleashed verbal artillery and spewed venom to the already irritated and charged public.
Just weeks after landing back in the country, Kadaga was again on the plain on the 28th of Sept 2016. This time headed to attend the annual East African Chamber of Commerce Conference in Dallas, Texas USA. One would wonder why such a forum was organized in Texas and not in any East African country. She wrote to the president informing him of her travel, from the 28th of September to the 4th of October 2016.
That’s beside the point. Let’s delve into how much Ms. Kadaga spends, (of course it’s you and me who foots these bills) every time she travels abroad.
She earns about $750 per diem, for this case, she’ll be out for 8 days, making it $6000, about Ugx19,800,000.
she’s entitled to $3000 (Ugx 9,900,000) which they call “out of pocket fee”. Its meant to entertain any body as may be deemed fit by the speaker while abroad.
Reliable sources from parliament intimates that she spends her nights in presidential suits while abroad.
She travels first class, accompanied by at least 4 aides, who are all entitled to per diem.
All the years Ms. Kadaga has been speaker, she has never presented any accountability to parliament for her expenses while abroad. Just imagine how much we have spent on her travels ever since she became speaker!
If I may ask, why is Kadaga so obsessed with traveling abroad? Forget the fact that she always travels at critical moments; in most cases when there is a controversial matter in parliament. Besides a hefty paycheck of over Ugx 25m she takes home per month and a whole list of allowances and privileges accorded to her as speaker, why continue spending on non productive travels?
Let’s put this in perspective; a senior physician at Mulago hospital, with experience of over 12yrs earns Ugx 3.5m per month. How many of such doctors can Kadaga’s single travel pay? Medical interns have been on strike over pay, they earn merely Ugx 600,000.
Why are we this irresponsible and selfish?
How does her regular travels help Uganda? Has she become a pilot, or a tourist?
Was she voted as speaker to represent Uganda abroad?


Rebecca Kadaga
It’s of course her prerogative to travel on official duty or otherwise. However, it doesn’t make economic sense to spend much of her time abroad yet she was voted to handle parliamentary work not travel.
Though parliament is now in recess due to what they called lack of business, its immoral of a speaker to take Ugandans for a ride.
These are the issues our dear speaker doesn’t want the public to know. She’ll throw mud and dirt at anyone who tries to point out the truth to the relatively carefree public. Just this week, editors of major newspapers in Uganda including; The Observser, Daily Monitor, Red Pepper and Uganda Radio Network were all summoned to appear in Parliament on orders of Kadaga.
Why are we stuck with such a leader who won’t take this country anywhere but sink it deeper.
For how long shall Ugandans entertain such lavish and largish living by our leaders? Shouldn’t we be asking Kadaga these hard questions?
Over to you Ugandans.
Frank Gashumba