The State Minister for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite, has urged the Government to cut MPs’ salaries as a way to restore trust and sanity in the country’s elections.
The former Koboko Municipality woman MP said that some people take her statement as something negative, given that she is still a minister who has already risen through the ranks.
She also denied claims asserting her stance has always been consistent and rooted in principle, not personal benefit.
“I said it right from the time I saw my first check. And I have repeatedly said that I feel it is too much money. That’s why the people fight. That’s why people want to kill each other.”
She likened Uganda’s Parliament to a beehive, sweetened by financial reward.
“So maybe it is time we remove the honey that is attracting everyone to go into parliament. You see, the bees get attracted too. So there is something which is the money,” she said.
“If we remove all this from our politics and reduce the amount of money that we pay legislators, I think the appetite for people who have jobs to resign from their jobs to go into politics will go down.”
Furthermore, Anite condemned what she described as a dangerous culture of voter bribery, exorbitant campaign financing, and ruthless political competition.
“Because this is not right for a country. It cannot be for the development of the country. Then the issue of the use of money. It’s crazy. It’s insane,” Anite said
She added that the financial demands on parliamentary candidates have reached disturbing levels, with sitting MPs reportedly seeking to sell off personal assets just to stay politically afloat.
