The Rubanda District Woman MP, who also serves as the Commissioner of Parliament, Hon. Prossy Akampulira, has admitted to receiving the controversial ‘service award’ money. Hon. Akampulira, along with three other commissioners—Mathias Mpuuga, Esther Afoyochan, and Solomon Silwany—are under intense scrutiny for sharing UGX 1.7 billion amongst themselves as a service award.
While some commissioners have remained silent or denied receiving the money, Hon. Akampulira openly revealed that she received UGX 400 million and used it to start women’s savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) at the village level in Rubanda District.
Last year, she launched the Prosperous Women Rubanda (PWR) initiative, a UGX 700 million project aimed at fostering a saving culture, fighting poverty, and increasing household income at the village level in the entire District.
Through the PWR initiative, significant progress has already been made in several villages in the district. The goal is to disburse UGX 400,000 to each of the 480 villages within the district, empowering the community by equipping them with essential resource management skills and enhancing financial literacy and self-sufficiency among residents.
Hon. Akampulira is using his initiative to call for unity among families and communities in the fight against household poverty. She emphasizes the importance of cooperation and togetherness, highlighting how pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and supporting each other can lift people out of poverty and create a more prosperous future for the region.
During the belated Women’s Day celebrations in Rubanda District on Friday at Kacerere Playground in Kacerere Town Council, Hon. Akampulira addressed the issue, stating, “I received the Shs400 million and gave it to the people. I had all the liberty to use that money for my personal gains but I didn’t do that; I gave that money to the people because I know how important my people are.”
The four legislators are facing censure from the Parliamentary Commission over alleged illicit enrichment. They have largely avoided addressing the issue, even as their voters demand accountability.
Speaking at Kacerere Playground, Hon. Akampulira dismissed the controversy and the censure process as political gimmicks. “It’s politics at hand. I don’t know what they want, but I didn’t even take any coin of that money,” she said. “When you move through the district, they will give accountability for that money. We had a meeting, and the commission is not only made up of four commissioners; it’s a parliamentary commission.”
She further criticized Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo and others leading the censure motion against them, accusing them of politicking. “I have never stolen money. This is money that came from the Ministry of Finance into my account. I put it in the community, and it is doing wonders. When you consult the women, they have really gotten money in their savings, and they are developing,” she added.
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