By Nathan Eyagu 

Philip Oucor, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for Serere County, has added his voice to the growing wave of criticism over the alleged disbursement of UGX 100 million to each Member of Parliament (MP), calling the move “deeply disappointing” in light of the country's economic struggles.

Oucor made the remarks during an interactive discussion with members of Aribabai, a popular WhatsApp forum for citizens in the Teso sub-region. He described the payouts as a betrayal of public trust, especially when many Ugandans are grappling with poverty, poor health care, crumbling schools, and impassable roads.

“This is really sad! Given the grappling levels of poverty, ailing health care system, dilapidated school infrastructure, poor roads... our representatives chose to pocket 100m!!” Oucor lamented.

The controversial payments allegedly stem from a UGX 4 trillion supplementary budget passed recently. According to opposition sources, the funds were quietly distributed as a reward for supporting the controversial Coffee Bill and other upcoming legislative proposals, including potential amendments to the UPDF Act.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, earlier claimed that both ruling and selected opposition MPs received the funds, sparking accusations of collusion and backdoor dealings.

In response to the backlash, Parliament’s administration swiftly denied the allegations. Chris Obore, Parliament’s Director of Communication and Public Affairs, took to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle to shut down the rumors:

"Ignore rumors that MPs have been paid Shs100m for passing the Coffee Bill. Whoever is alleging should respect the public by providing evidence other than propaganda. MPs receive statutory payments through the Clerk to Parliament and by way of a payslip. The rest is recycled propaganda."

Despite the denial, the alleged payouts have drawn sharp criticism across the country, especially from ordinary citizens who continue to suffer the consequences of underfunded public services and delayed local government programs like LC1 elections.

Oucor’s public condemnation adds to the mounting pressure on lawmakers and government institutions to account for public funds more transparently. As debate rages on, the demand for accountability and prioritization of essential services remains louder than ever.

Whether the accusations are proven true or not, the incident has reignited public distrust in political leadership — and a renewed call for reforms in how taxpayer money is managed.