The leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) ,Joel Ssenyonyi on July 16, 2025, came out to clarify on the UGX 354 million that his office receives monthly, with a long elaborate expatiation however this was met with serious criticism from Ugandans especially online critics and activists with many calling him a hypocrite and untruthful.
One activist Godwin Toko took to social media to complain about Ssenyonyi’s expenditure per month calling it gross abuse of taxpayers’ money.
“Habibi, why would the Leader of Opposition, to have a budget of UGX 354 million per month in a country where an approximated 42 per cent of the population live on less than 220,000 per month? So, what Joel blows in just 30 days is equivalent to what 1,609 Ugandans earn in a month! This is gross abuse of taxpayers’ money that we need to call out!” Toko exclaimed.
He further noted: “Here is where it gets interesting, the LoP budget now is 4.243 billion, which is slightly lower than the budget of the speaker in 2021 which stood at 4.432 billion.”
In response, Ssenyonyi insisted that he does not control the budget, asserting that decisions are made by the Speaker’s office, not him personally.
Critics, however, charged that he’s attempting to deflect accountability despite benefiting from the funds.
Toko further wondered that even if it could have been Mpuuga who introduced it, how about Ssenyonyi not doing anything about cutting the budget.
“Of course the increase didn’t start with Joel Ssenyonyi, looks like it started in the era of Mathias Mpuuga but what is certain is that Joel has continued to enjoy the benefits that come with this budget that is nothing short of a gross abuse of the poor, oppressed, Ugandan taxpayers!”
Another Critic, requesting anonymity, added: “They chose to do what they ought not to do and there’s no truth in them. I have never had any opposition Member of Parliament suggesting a cut in their pay. It’s all about hypocrisy and opportunism. Actually parliament is now a money making venture.”
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