The handling of the Appropriation Bill 2024 has sparked heated debate in Parliament, following President Museveni’s accusations of corruption and budgetary interference against MPs, particularly those on the Budget Committee. The President’s letter, which accompanied the returned Appropriation Bill, alleged that over Shs3 trillion had been reallocated by Parliament in the past four years, compromising key national projects.

Jonathan Odur (Erute South) strongly opposed referring the Appropriation Bill to the Budget Committee, citing the President's grave allegations of corruption against its members. Odur argued that these allegations cast a shadow over the committee's integrity and suggested that the bill be considered by the Committee of the Whole House instead.

“The strongest justification for not sending this bill to the Budget Committee is that there is a very serious allegation of grave corruption of the Budget Committee. And the wording of the President’s letter specifically mentions allegations of corruption and he isn’t doing it for the first time,” Odur stated. He referenced multiple instances where the President had accused the Parliament of corruption, including during a tribute to the Late Cecilia Ogwal, the State of the Nation Address, and on budget day.

Supporting this view, Hamson Obua (Government Chief Whip) proposed that the bill be deliberated by the entire House rather than the Budget Committee. Odur backed this proposal, expressing discomfort with having the bill reviewed by a committee tainted by corruption allegations.

Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality), however, protested the blanket allegations of corruption against all members of the Budget Committee. “I disagree with my Minister for Justice that the whole of the Budget Committee is accused of corruption. I sit on that Budget Committee, I have never, I have never asked or even signed the major report,” Ssemujju defended.

Speaker Anita Among also weighed in, emphasizing the presumption of innocence for all MPs, including those on the Budget Committee. “We can’t say that our members are corrupt, even if some of our members have been arrested and are in prison, there is a presumption of innocence. Honourable members, can you shut up? Please! There is a presumption of innocence, you can’t say somebody is a thief. How many members are on the Budget Committee? There are 65 members on the Budget Committee,” Among asserted.

Despite the rebuttals, Odur stood firm in his remarks, reiterating the President’s repeated accusations of corruption. “This is a House of record, I was present when the Head of State came to pay tribute to the Late Cecilia Ogwal, and in his speech, he said it. Madam Speaker, you were there, the President accused this Parliament of being corrupt. When we were in Kololo, it was mentioned, in this letter, that the President had written the word corruption. It is also factual,” Odur noted.

He argued that since the contested reallocations were executed by the Budget Committee and adopted by the House, the full Parliament should now decide on the bill on a case-by-case basis. “The reallocations contested by the President were done by the Budget Committee and brought to this House, and the House adopted it. So it means that the Budget Committee already did their part. This House can therefore sit and take a decision on the case by case basis," Odur concluded.

The debate over the Appropriation Bill 2024 and the allegations of corruption highlight the ongoing tension between the Executive and Parliament, raising questions about the integrity of the budgetary process and the future of legislative-executive relations in Uganda.