Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Patrick, Oboi Amuraiat, has accused the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) for “stealing” their idea of giving COVID-19 relief cash support to Ugandans and later mismanaging it.
Speaking at a the party’s weekly press briefing, Amuriat says Ugandans should not expect anything better from the ongoing efforts by government because giving out 100,000 shillings has never been NRM’s idea but FDC’s.
“Giving out 100,000 shillings was our idea; now, that has been taken away and totally mismanaged. Because they lack original thinking in this, they cannot implementing it well; because it was’nt their original idea to begin with” Amuriat said.
Amuriat claims that the money is being given to the wrong people instead of the actual vulnerable beneficiaries and is being given to regime apologists.
During presidential campaigns ahead of the January 2021 elections, Amuriat who was FDC flagbearer, pledged to pay all families a sum of 100,000 shillings each to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic after he won the presidency.
Last week, the Office of the Prime Minister launched the disbursement of 100,000 shillings to Ugandans whose incomes were severely affected by government containment measures in the fight against COVID-19 including the lockdown. Under the arrangement, 501,507 households will benefit from the 54.7BN shillings budget earmarked for the project.
However, the process has suffered criticism over the unclear criteria in identification of genuine beneficiaries, the mode of disbursement -both of which which have also led to delays in disbursement of funds. Amuriat also says the amount given as a one off is not enough and government has betrayed Ugandans.
“The 100,000 shillings given as a one-off is very little money to sustain a household. And considering the money that has been stolen right left and center, we think that the regime in Kampala missed an opportunity to support the vulnerable people of Uganda” He stated.
Amuriat also took a swipe at President Museveni who he accused of promising Ugandans a drug for COVID-19 which he has not delivered, and giving relief to NRM party fanatics and apologists.
“Even the few beneficiaries that would have got this support are actually in the category of NRM cadres, former campaign agents of the regime, fanatical supporters of the regime and not vulnerable people who deserve this support.” Amuriat claimed.
Amuriat’s claims, however, could not be independently verified since this website failed to access the list of beneficiaries since the process is still on-going. However, president Museveni has severally noted that by November this year, Uganda will have started producing home-made COVID-19 vaccines.