LOP Joel Ssenyonyi Returns Money He Was Paid for Visiting Hon Ssegirinya in Nairobi

 After weeks of public scrutiny regarding the extra money he received from Parliament for visiting ailing Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya in a Nairobi hospital, Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi has taken steps to rectify the situation.

Parliament had initially paid Ssenyonyi $850 per day for the five days he was reported to have spent in Nairobi to check on Ssegirinya. Documents revealed during the online Uganda Parliament Exhibition indicated that a total of slightly over Shs16m was credited to his account in Housing Finance Bank.

However, Ssenyonyi clarified at a news conference in Kampala on March 21, 2024, that he had only intended to be in Nairobi for one night. He stated, "I gave indication that I will be there for one night and that I'll return to take care of other responsibilities that I have. So, I did go, came back and gave a report about the progress of our member."

To his surprise, Ssenyonyi noticed a reflection of money in his account covering five days, instead of the single day he had anticipated. He expected Parliament to deduct the funds for the extra four days from his March 2023 salary, as is the usual procedure when extra money from the National Treasury is credited to an individual's account.

However, when informed that the deduction would be made from his April emoluments instead of March 2024, Ssenyonyi took proactive steps. "I said 'no, I am not going to wait for that. So I withdrew money from my account for the four days and I went and deposited that money with the accountability office and I got a receipt for it. I don't want this matter to take longer than it should... I don't want people to misuse it," he explained.

Joel Ssenyonyi, who also serves as the main opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson and Nakawa West MP, has shown transparency and accountability by returning the excess per diem funds he received, ensuring that the matter is resolved promptly.

This action comes amid ongoing efforts to uphold financial integrity and responsibility within Uganda's parliamentary system.