Kira Municipality Member of Parliament Ssemujju Nganda, who doubles as the shadow minister for finance, has accused President Museveni of trying to usurp the appropriation powers of parliament.

Ssemujju said on Monday that the only reason Museveni has returned the appropriation bill 2024 to parliament is because he wants to ‘take away the power of appropriation from parliament’ from legislators.

“The real reason why the President is returning the bill isn’t because so much damage has been done to the budget, but because he wants to take away the power of appropriation powers from MPs,” he said. 

President Museveni rejected signing the appropriation bill for 2024 into law and sent it back to parliament for reconsideration. The reasons why the bill was not signed remain scanty.

Ssemujju says the president doesn’t specify which clauses in the bill he wants to be reconsidered. He says he has been told by those who have read the president’s letter that he is simply quarreling.

“His letter hasn’t been known; they should have published this letter in the gazette. Those who have read it tell me that the President is quarreling, and he doesn’t specify which particular clauses in the bill he wants reconsidered,” he said.

The shadow finance minister has advised that parliament should ignore the bill and send it back to President Museveni, though he is afraid NRM legislators may not heed his advice.

“The only trouble is that NRM MPs are spineless. Because even if we refuse to reconsider the bill and we take it back to Museveni, he returns it, and we take it back. It becomes law. But I am not sure that these NRM MPs have the spine to do so,” he noted.

Parliament is expected to discuss the appropriation bill for 2024 on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, when parliament returns from recess. The bill was first approved by parliament on May 16, 2024. However, President Museveni declined to sign the bill into law.