The state Minister for Health also President Museveni’s advisor on pandemics, Monica Musenero is under fire following a parliamentary probe into a COVID-19 vaccine facility she claims to be operating.
Since the pandemic struck Uganda in March 2020, Museveni was approached by a team of scientists led by Dr. Musenero who convinced him that the country does not have to rely on foreign vaccines since the same could be manufactured domestically. An excited Museveni instantly released UGX 20 billion to support Dr. Musenero’s project around April 2020.
Realizing that Museveni may not follow up for accountability, Dr. Musenero continuously flanked the national coffers and collected UGX 50 billion in her next expedition, followed by another 20 billion and then another 10 billion.
Surprisingly, all this money was not put to its rightful use but rather enabled the minister and her accomplices to enlarge their empires at the cost of the taxpayer.
Musenero’s woes deepened when her heist was tabled on the floor of parliament by the Ntungamo municipality legislator Yona Musinguzi. The MP roasted Dr. Musenero for failing to account for all the first money she fetched from the national coffers.
“I want to inform this house that the honourable Minister fooled the president and the public that she is working on a covid vaccine,” Yona told parliament on Thursday.
“Rt. Hon. Speaker, I want to go on record that I am even ready to adduce evidence that the honourable Minister Monica Musenero lied to Ugandans. There’s nothing like a vaccine. She is just enriching herself at the cost of taxpayers,” he added.
Chua West MP Okin Ojara said that his colleague was presenting a serious allegation and requested for a full statement to the House so that it can be discussed and investigations ensued.
Similarly, Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition also noted that the allegations were grave to the person of a Minister, and added that the House can do the country justice by asking her to explain herself against any evidence by MP Musinguzi before any other supplementary budget for the Ministry of Science is approved.
However, the government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa said that it was going to be difficult to subject the Minister to a committee over allegations without evidence.
He appealed that MP Musinguzi is instead given time to table substantive evidence before the Speaker makes any directive while at the same time, a copy of Hansard would be presented to the minister so that she formally responds to the allegations while making a statement on the Innovation Fund
The Deputy speaker Rt. Hon. Anita Among was compelled to summon the minister to turn up and update the country on the progress of the covid vaccine project.
This newspaper has been tipped that the so called vaccine is actually set to be launched by the end of December 2022. Insiders however say the Minister plans to convince with the synovax Chinese firm to import some of their left over vaccines.
