The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political activist Ingrid Turinawe’s bid to represent Uganda at the regional assembly seems to have hit a hard rock.
Fresh from being sneaked into the final race after being trounced by Ms Florence Ibi Ekwau by two votes in the hotly contested elections which took place at the party’s headquarters in Najjanakumbi, Ms. Turinawe on Tuesday received a rude welcome from scores of MPs as she carried on her campaigns, moments after an impromptu meeting by the Shadow cabinet in Parliament was reported as matters pertaining EALA.
FDC’s Ingrid Turinawe gets a RUDE reception frm MPs. Chased frm Parliamentary canteen, sm MPs had placards telling her; NO VOTES frm Mpigs pic.twitter.com/hxW0a8PB18
— Sadab Kitatta (@sadabkitatta1) February 21, 2017
Senior Parliament reporter, Sadab Kitata of the Observer tweeted; “FDC’s Ingrid Turinawe gets a RUDE reception from MPs. Chased from Parliamentary canteen, some MPs had placards telling her; NO VOTES from MPigs.”
Last September, Lubaga South MP Kato Lubwama while appearing on Bukedde TV named Ms. Turinawe as the senior FDC official as being behind the campaign to demonize some members of the 10th August House.
Kato Lubwama said Turinawe was fighting a war against Parliament because she failed to make it to the House and could not convince fellow FDC people from swearing in which backfired.
Members of the Jobless Brotherhood who are affiliated to Ms. Turinawe had dropped pigs at Parliament in protest of the Shs200 million given to MPs to purchase cars. The demonstrators at that time also carried two piglets, painted yellow- the (NRM) color.
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Ms. Turinawe currently serves as the party’s secretary for mobilisation. She lost her bid for the Rukungiri Municipality Member of Parliament at the primaries. She is popular for run-ins with security forces during demonstrations.
Big money venture
The setback comes even when Ms. Turinawe is optimistic that FDC will get slots in parliament as opposition’s leading party in parliament yet the East African Legislative Assembly is the highest paid parliament in the region, only next to Nigeria on the continent.
According to the 2013/2014 Eala budget, an MP takes home $14,908 (Shs53.3m) in pay, perks. This is more than double what Uganda’s national parliamentarian earns.
While an MP in Uganda earns Shs50,000 per sitting, an Eala MP gets $400 (Shs1.4m). Eala members sit 12 days in a month, giving them a $4,800 (Shs17m) monthly bounty in allowances—it can reach $8,500 (Shs30m) if one attends committee work when plenary is off.
Apart from the official Arusha allowances, the legislators are also, in line with Eala regulations, given facilitation allowances by their states of origin for activities such as sensitising citizens on EAC matters.
Add the allowances to the basic salary of $6,408 (Shs22m) and it starts to be clear why someone can be willing to put a spirited fight to go to Eala.
Among those left in the race, Independents are the majority (37) , followed by the ruling National Resistance Movement with (6), Forum for Democratic Change (2), while both democratic Party and Uganda People’s Congress have only one candidate each.
If the status quo is maintained, NRM will take 6 out of the 9 position, leaving the opposition to compete for only two positions while the majority independents candidates will be battling for only one slot.
According to Article 50 of the Establishment of the East African Community Treaty, the final results must represent the existing “shades of opinion and interest groups as represented in the Parliament of a Partner State.”
