We have not received any money for commissioners – Parliamentary SACCO boss

KAMPALA, November 5, 2025 — The Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Parliamentary SACCO, Methods Mureebe, has dismissed allegations made by Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament [LoP] that four parliamentary commissioners have once again allocated themselves an additional Shs 400 million each in so-called service awards, allegedly channelled through the multi-billion-shilling SACCO.

The Parliamentary Commissioners implicated are Esther Afoyochan [Woman Member of Parliament for Zombo district], Mathias Mpuuga [MP for Nyendo–Mukungwe Division, Masaka City, and President of the Democratic Front], Solomon Silwanyi [MP for Bukooli Central, Bugiri district], and Prossy Mbabazi Akampurira [Woman MP for Rubanda district].

“I have never seen that money, and we have never received that money,” Mureebe told theCooperator New today in a telephone interview. “Parliament has its own systems of payment. As a SACCO, we do not pay Members of Parliament, nor do we receive the payments that Ssenyonyi is talking about.”

Incorporated in March 2003, Uganda Parliamentary SACCO is owned by Parliamentarians and staff of Parliament.

Ssenyonyi claims that the money was channelled through the SACCO to avoid traceability and alleged that it was intended to fund the commissioners’ political activities during the current campaign period.

Ssenyonyi, who also serves as a parliamentary commissioner, said he had not received any such payment himself. However, the Parliamentary administration rejected his claims, insisting that no such payments had been approved.

Meanwhile, Chris Obore, Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, also dismissed the allegations and challenged Ssenyonyi to provide evidence.
“Can he show you the payslips?” Obore asked. “Parliament pays all public funds through the Integrated Financial Management System. The Clerk to Parliament has not paid the commissioners any money other than their salaries.”

Ssenyonyi, however, stood by his claims. “When we previously spoke out about the Shs 40m that was secretly given to some MPs, many colleagues said we were lying and tarnishing Parliament’s image — but eventually, Hon. Twaha Kagabo was seen pacing up and down Parliament’s stairs with the Shs 40m in a bag!” he posted on his X handle.

“When we talked about the first service award, the recipients initially denied it and claimed I had personal issues with them — but later they ate humble pie and admitted receiving the money. When we spoke about the Shs 100m given to MPs to ‘appreciate’ them for passing the Coffee Bill and to encourage them to pass the UPDF Amendment Bill, some colleagues said I was lying and even threatened to take me to court. But later, Gen. Museveni himself confirmed he had given them the money.

“So even with this second service award of Shs 400m to each of the four commissioners, they will deny it and say all sorts of things,” Ssenyonyi added.

“Dirty money” in SACCOs

“Dirty money” in SACCOs refers to funds obtained through illegal activities like fraud or corruption that are then laundered to appear legitimate. SACCOs are vulnerable to this through suspicious activities such as unusual transactions, rapid fund transfers, and a lack of transparency, which can lead to serious financial, legal, and reputational risks. Regulatory bodies are increasingly extending their anti-money laundering efforts to SACCOs due to their identified vulnerabilities. Issue 57 of theCooperator has covered this topic extensively.

https://thecooperator.news/parliamentary-sacco-posts-shs-9-6bln-gross-income/

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