By Pato Patrick’s Sentongo
Music promoter Andrew Mukasa a.k.a ‘Bajjo’ has petitioned President Museveni over accountability of COVID-19 Response funds.
Bajjo of Bajjo Events Clear Process together with Events promoter Abby Musinguzi alias Abitex and their spokesperson Matovu Aloysius Junior say while companies and individuals have positively responded calls for relief, there exists fear in common people about management of the coronavirus funds.
“We are writing to deliver the demands of the common people of Uganda. A lot of money has been extended to MOH and the committee on relief… Many companies and individuals have positively responded to your call, but there are lots of fears about management given the past experience with the Office of the prime Minister” Bajjo said in a letter to Museveni dated April 19.
Bajjo and his colleagues who preferred to address themselves as concerned citizens demand that transparency be exhibited in the whole process of collecting relief, and its distribution to Ugandans which they say has not been the case right from the onset of the initiative.
They also listed donations for which they claim the public wants a breakdown accountability including 5BN theMOH received from government immediately after the pandemic broke out, $15M from WHO, 284 from Parliament, and 120BN donated by European Union.
In the letter copied to the Vice President, the Office of Prime Minister (OPM) among others, the petitioners demand that Health Centres be equipped with face masks, gloves, ventilators, testing kits among others.
Aloysius Matovu Junior, the spokesperson Bajjo Events & Abitex Promotions says by presenting reports of who has contributed as witnessed in President Museveni’s address is not enough without telling the public how the funds are spent.
Matovu says the relief task-force should present daily reports of what has been received and distributed in order to keep the process transparent.
The petitioners say by “accounting for every coin received” donors will be motivated, and government should put in place a transparent accountability procedure for food and relief items collected from various donations.
In the same letter signed by Bajjo, the group set an ultimatum for the president’s response saying they are ready to lead a non-violent demonstration of nothing is done in the next 14 days.
Government through the COVID-19 Relief task-force has been receiving donations and allocations ever since the initiative commenced but suffered a major setback following the arrest of key officials in the OPM on cases of fraud.
The food distribution process which started on April 4th has also been dogged with controversies of quality and standard, which has led to delays in the process.