Social media is a rioting over Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga’s decision to spend 600m Ugandan shillings on medals to award 1,200 MPs who served in parliament during the period from 1962 to 2012.
Ugandans have expressed disapproval at lavish spending on medals, saying the money should be spent in areas like healthcare.
The plan to honour them was first mooted by President Yoweri Museveni to mark Uganda’s golden jubilee.
“The Speaker of Parliament in conjunction with the Presidential Awards Committee have organised the Golden Jubilee Awards Ceremony for Members of Parliament who have served in the different legislatures from the time of Uganda’s independence,” a parliament statement reads. The awards will according to the House statement, be given in “recognition to their service to the nation”.
Opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his wife Winnie Byanyima are on the list of those to get medals.
The medal announcement comes days after a parliament commission had allocated 50m Ugandan shillings to cater for the funeral expenses of MPs.
Thirteen MPs have died in the past five years.
