Museveni’s Masterstroke: How Uganda’s Parliament Was Castrated by Classified Bribes and Political Narcissism
The 100 Million Shilling Bribe: A Classified Transaction in Plain Sight In early April 2025, it emerged that each Member of Parliament had been covertly handed UGX 100 million, not as a policy-driven facilitation, but allegedly as a political reward — a bribe — to facilitate the passing of controversial legislation including the notorious Military Courts Amendment Bill that aims to empower military tribunals to try civilians, including political dissidents like Dr. Kizza Besigye. This money was not declared. It was not debated. It came, reportedly, from the classified expenditures of State House, a murky pool of funds shielded from public scrutiny. According to Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, this transaction was nothing less than state-sponsored corruption, engineered to pacify MPs, eliminate parliamentary resistance, and weaponize legislation against democratic forces.
Uganda Today Edition: Museveni’s Masterstroke: How Uganda’s Parliament Was Castrated by Classified Bribes and Political Narcissism
By Uganda Today Political Desk
www.ugandatoday.co.ug
For four decades, President Yoweri Museveni has ruled Uganda with the precision of a master tactician. His ability to neutralize dissent, especially within institutions designed to check the executive, has been nothing short of political wizardry. And nowhere has this spell worked more effectively than in Parliament — the very institution constitutionally empowered to hold the President and his government to account.
But how did Museveni do it?
The answer lies in a calculated and consistently executed paradigm: co-opt, corrupt, and conquer. And the recent scandal involving the clandestine disbursement of UGX 100 million to individual Members of Parliament from the State House’s classified budget offers a glaring window into how this has been operationalized.
The 100 Million Shilling Bribe: A Classified Transaction in Plain Sight
In early April 2025, it emerged that each Member of Parliament had been covertly handed UGX 100 million, not as a policy-driven facilitation, but allegedly as a political reward — a bribe — to facilitate the passing of controversial legislation including the notorious Military Courts Amendment Bill that aims to empower military tribunals to try civilians, including political dissidents like Dr. Kizza Besigye.
This money was not declared. It was not debated. It came, reportedly, from the classified expenditures of State House, a murky pool of funds shielded from public scrutiny. According to Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, this transaction was nothing less than state-sponsored corruption, engineered to pacify MPs, eliminate parliamentary resistance, and weaponize legislation against democratic forces.
72 Opposition MPs Take a Stand
In a rare show of solidarity, 72 Opposition Members of Parliament signed a public resolution condemning the secret distribution of money from the classified budget. The resolution, shared by Hon. Ssenyonyi, reads like both an oath of allegiance to integrity and a challenge to the executive’s tactics of coercion.
“Signing this document is like taking an oath of allegiance. It is a public commitment of these members disassociating themselves from the 100m shs saga… This money is a form of corruption, that is why it’s being given out surreptitiously,” wrote Hon. Ssenyonyi.
The message is stark: “If you took the money, you sold your conscience.” Even more, he dared the distributors of the money to expose any MP who hypocritically signed the declaration while accepting the funds.
These MPs, he said, are standing for a principled rejection of corruption, knowing full well that no justification — even using the money for good causes — can whitewash theft.
Museveni’s Tactical Blueprint: Castrating Parliament
Museveni’s tactic, honed over decades, involves ensuring that Parliament is never strong enough to challenge him. Here’s how this paradigm unfolds:
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Financial Co-optation: MPs are softened with rewards — cars, allowances, and now classified bribes. Museveni doesn’t need all of Parliament, just enough to sway a vote and isolate dissent.
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Moral Erosion: By making corruption routine, the bar of public morality is continuously lowered. An MP who takes UGX 100m today will hesitate to call out abuse tomorrow.
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Divide and Control: Not all MPs received the money. Those who didn’t are suspicious. Those who did fear exposure. The net result? A fractured legislature incapable of unified resistance.
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Weaponized Legislation: With Parliament subdued, Museveni can push through bills that strengthen his grip — like empowering military courts, gerrymandering electoral laws, and expanding presidential powers.
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Perpetual Distraction: While Uganda should be debating sustainable development, it is instead awash with scandals, blackmail, and bribes. All designed to keep Parliament too preoccupied — or compromised — to question State House.
The Real Tragedy: Institutional Impotence
What’s most tragic is not that money changed hands, but that the very institution tasked with checking executive power has become its enabler. Parliament, by design, should act as the people’s last line of defense. Instead, it has been turned into an extension of State House, its moral and legislative autonomy quietly bought off in brown envelopes.
A Glimmer of Hope: 2026 as a Tariff Year
As Hon. Ssenyonyi wisely pointed out, the next general election in 2026 offers Ugandans a chance to impose electoral tariffs on corrupt MPs. It is a civic call to action:
“Let every vote be a tax on the corrupt, a levy on shame, and a fine for betrayal.”
If 2026 becomes the year where voters reject MPs who traded their conscience for currency, then perhaps Museveni’s 40-year paradigm will begin to crack.
Until then, Museveni’s grip remains tight, and Parliament — the supposed lion of democracy — continues to purr at his feet, full-bellied and silent.
FULL LIST: MPs Who Signed the Anti-Bribery Resolution
A full view of the 72 Opposition MPs who signed the resolution publicly rejecting the UGX 100M bribes. These MPs have declared that integrity is not for sale, and they have dared the system to prove them wrong.
Editorial Note:
We publish this story as a record for future generations and a clarion call to Ugandans: the war for your democracy is being fought in back rooms, briefcases, and under the cover of classified budgets. If Parliament cannot keep government in check, then the people must.
#KeepingTheGovtInCheck
#UGX100MBribe
#ParliamentForSale
#UgandaTodayInvestigates
#MuseveniFiles
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