FORGET THE LIST: Prime Minister Nabbanja tells MPs why she won’t give them list of Shs100K Beneficiaries

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has explained why her office will not share the list of beneficiaries of the Shs100,000 Covid19 lockdown relief package.

Last week, Nabbanja’s office, closely working with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) and the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (Nita-U) started disbursing the money to help just over 500,000 vulnerable poor Ugandans through the 42-day lockdown announced by President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni on June 18.

But the disbursement process is sluggish with many people yet to get, and records of at least 150,000 deserving Ugandans rejected by telecoms.

Nabbanja was expected to answer these and other concerns through a statement on the status of government interventions on the Covid19 pandemic on July 14.

But the Prime Minister came late because she was reportedly in a meeting with the president and other members of cabinet.

Later during the Prime Minister’s question time, several MPs raised matters of national importance which Nabbanja and line ministers responded to.

Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Atim Ogwal asked Nabbanja to avail MPs the list of beneficiaries “of this money so that we start a verification in the respective districts.”

In response, Nabbanja said: “I have the lists of the beneficiaries. This money came from Bank of Uganda to Post Bank Uganda, then to the telecoms, MTN and Airtel onto the beneficiaries. I don’t know whether you want me to share finer details on NINs [National Identification Numbers] and others.”

Nabbanja explained that the lists could not be shared because they contained private information such as NINs and mobile phone numbers, and could not be released to the public and other institutions such as Parliament since such data are protected by privacy laws.

Meanwhile, Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona asked Nabbanja to ensure that the money, little as it is, reaches the intended beneficiaries since constituents had reportedly started piling pressure on MPs for support after the government relief cash delayed.

“MPs are being turned into mini governments and have become indebted to the masses as they wait for the Covid19 relief fund from Rt Hon Robinah Nabanja. Can we get an assurance that the money, however little, will reach the people?” submitted Sseggona.