Museveni to sell cows to fund Shs100m MPs handouts, says minister

Government officials and NRM MPs have been on the defensive, following President Yoweri Museveni's promised Shs 100 million to each of the party legislators. 

In the face of growing public backlash, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, the Minister for Kampala, sought to calm the nerve, claiming that the handout will not be borne by the tax payer. 

She said funds will instead come from the president’s personal business, including the sale of cattle.The president, she said, was to raise the money from his ranches in Kyankwanzi, Kisozi and Rwakitura.

“The money that the president hands out is not government money, it is his own money from his farm. He is a cattle keeper. We just came from touring his farm. It is from his pocket and he decided to share some with his children,” she said.

She added that Museveni earns from selling cows, beef and milk, and has chosen to support MPs who recently came out of what she described as a tough election period.

“It is good that he gets to share some with us his children because we just emerged from an election which was like passing through a furnace.”

The remarks follow public criticism after Museveni announced the cash pledge at the close of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary retreat in Kyankwanzi. 

The President said he would give each MP Shs100 million, starting with Shs20 million in cash, with the balance of Shs 80 million to follow later. 

More than 400 MPs attended the retreat, putting the total cost of the payout at over Shs40 billion.

The source of the money has since been widely questioned, with concerns raised about whether public funds could be involved.

Kabanda insisted the MPs have not yet received the initial Shs20 million, but said the payment is expected soon.

“We are still waiting for the 20 million so we can dust ourselves and the rest will follow,” she said.

The announcement has sparked mixed reactions across the country. Civil society groups and economists have warned that such handouts raise accountability concerns, especially if public funds are used. 

Opposition figures have also questioned whether the payments could affect Parliament’s independence.

However, some government officials have defended the move, arguing that MPs often face financial pressure after expensive election campaigns and need support as they prepare to take office.