When you listen and read those well-coordinated opinions that malign the Speaker and her Deputy, you clearly get it – it is no longer about the cars and what they cost.
The Speaker and Deputy are entitled to these cars; and so, did the past Speakers, just like any high-ranking government officials.
If anything lacks perspective, then you know it is outright malice, perhaps funded to achieve a certain agenda.
The Speaker and her Deputy have five years – they are less now by over a year – in the Office.
Then how does it turn around that they are blamed for enhancing the value of an office that could be occupied by some else any day.
The Office of the Speaker and its attendant assets are not personal to holder. Therefore, holding down individuals is driving an agenda, which those behind the current noise, might want to declare so that Ugandans know what they intend to achieve.
The decision to procure two cars, which by the way have a much longer guarantee than previous, putting them above the five-year government requirement, was discussed at various levels and many considerations were mad.
Whereas the Speaker and her Deputy are members of the Parliamentary Commission, they are not involved in the operations of the Contracts Committee. Therefore, they cannot be blamed for decisions made there.
But even then, when you look at all the decisions that were taken, and this has been confirmed by people knowledgeable with the matter, all processes were followed. So, what are those driving the smear campaign seeking to achieve?
Of course, they will not talk about the guarantees on the cars and rate of depreciation. Their main agenda is to focus on the price and loop it with the current economic condition, which if not looked at critically, is misleading.
People familiar with the purchase of the cars, of course believe the current hullabaloo originates from the fact that the procurement was awarded to a different company, away from the perennial supplier who I will not mention.
For years that company is said to have supplied cars to Parliament and everything was fine until when the deal was contracted to another company.
It is not written in still that supply of cars must be a preserve of one company. Any company, as long as it is qualified, can do business with Government.
Therefore, by choosing a different company, the Contracts Committee was aware of this. While some people want to make it about themselves, the company that was chosen offered the lowest bid.
Therefore, the propaganda against Parliament, which seems to be fueled by those who lost out on the contract, is just outright malicious and only seeks to cast the Legislature and its leadership in bad light.
Worse still, it seeks to rally Ugandans against people who they elected to represent them.
However, Parliamentarians, amid all the challenges and increasing demand, have stood and shared with the people who elected them in their hour of need.
Anyone who is driving an agenda against Parliament needs to do so much explaining beyond just focusing on an institution that is just a unit within a whole government set up.
