The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has cautioned new MPs to stay away from money lenders if they are to enjoy their stay in Parliament for the next 5 years.
Kadaga was on Monday addressing a press conference to give accountability of what the 10th Parliament has achieved. The tenure of the 10th Parliament ends on 15th May.
“I am asking the new members to be very far from money lenders. Money lenders have offices around here so they have been sending members messages that they can get them Shs1bn in three days, so if you are a new member who is indebted, you might get excited to go for this offer,” Kadaga said.
She asked the new MPs to go for the loan only when it is inevitable. “I don’t want them [MPs] to touch any loan until August; first they must know how much they are getting, how much money do you need for rent, school fees, and also do you really need a loan or you can live with the money you earn here? So it is not that as soon you come here then you must start borrowing,” Kadaga warned.
Kadaga further tasked MPs to work closely with the government to fulfill the desires of their constituencies.
“These voters make a lot of demands, I want members to rationalize how much they put in constituencies, but also they should lobby from government other than borrowing to satisfy demands from their voters,” she said, adding that there is need to inculcate the culture of saving and financial discipline to the new Members.
“Members should always learn to deal with the fact that their term ends in 5years and they should be prepared for the new life in case they are not voted back. In this country, once you have been in this House [Parliament], you are really unemployable; nobody wants to give you a job. So members need to have their own investments or become job creators. That is why this time we organized a "life after parliament" seminar to prepare our members,” she added.
Kadaga also has praised the 10th Parliament for diligently executing its constitutional mandate despite the disturbing effects of COVID-19 pandemic that paralyzed most sectors of the economy. “Despite all the challenges, I am proud that I was able to ensure that Parliament continues working; we passed the budget, passed legislation and passed the loans for this country," Kadaga said.
