IN SUMMARY: President Museveni in June 2021 ordered the URA to release Bobi’s bulletproof car without the latter paying the legally mandated Shs337m, hence gifting him the staggering amount at the expense of the taxpayers.
A number of NUP leaders are now questioning the legality and morality between Mpuuga’s Shs500m award from Parliament and Bobi’s Shs327m tax gift from Museveni.
When the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) held Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi’s bulletproof car, UBJ 667F, in April 2021 and demanded him to pay the constitutionally mandated tax of Shs337m, many people thought it was a political since he was number two in the just concluded elections of February.
In a daunting turn of events, President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni ordered the URA to release Hon Kyagulanyi’s car without collecting the required tax.
Bobi, who claims to be a principled and non corruptible fellow, didn’t mind to pursue the matter in court but comfortably decided to accept President Museveni’s gift of Shs337m in taxes. It was obviously an illegality since tax exemptions go through Parliament as bills introduced by Finance Ministry.
Now, some of the NUP leaders and vigilant Ugandans are asking why Bobi is crucifying Mathias Mpuuga over the legitimate Shs500 million Service Award from the Parliamentary Commission to a retiring LOP and at the same time forgetting about the illegal Shs337m tax gift.
“The Pulinsipo accepted Museveni’s gift of Shs337m in terms of a non existent tax exemption. Mpuuga’s Shs500m award is from Parliamentary Commission, a body mandated to handle the benefits of the Speaker, Deputy, Leader of opposition, MPs and staff,” said a source in NUP.
The Constitution, the Administration of Parliament Act and the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure mandate the Parliamentary Commission to determine such benefits to MPs and parliamentary staff.