Parliament Tasks Gov’t on Unfulfilled Presidential Pledge to Sports

Parliament has tasked the government to table a list of all presidential pledges made to sports.

This stemmed from a matter raised by shadow minister for Sports, Allan Ssewanyana on the unfulfilled presidential pledge of shillings 3.7 billion to the Uganda Cranes.    

Ssewanyana told Members of Parliament on Tuesday that Uganda Cranes players may strike over the unfulfilled presidential pledge.      

Last year, President Yoweri Museveni pledged $1 million US Dollars to reward the team for participating in the 2019 African Cup of Nations-Afcon.  He announced the cash reward at a dinner held at State House after the team returned from the Afcon games.

According to Ssewanyana, the players may not participate in upcoming events if the pledge is not fulfilled.  Some of the upcoming events include the qualifiers for the 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup.     

However, the former sports minister, Charles Bakkabulindi downplayed Ssewanyana’s concerns saying that the complaint should have instead come from the governing body, Federation of Uganda Football Associations-FUFA or the players.   

Rubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante, however, rebutted Bakkabulindi, saying that a presidential pledge is a commitment, which the government must fulfill.

David Bahati, the Minister of State for Planning in the finance ministry says that he will follow up on the pledge.

However Bugweri County MP, Abdu Katuntu demanded to know where the funds for implementing such pledges are provided for in budget system. 

Minister Bahati says that the pledges to sports are provided for in the budget for the ministry of education and sports.

However, Aringa North MP, Godfrey Onzima noted that presidential pledges take long to be processed partially due to corruption while some remain unfulfilled. He cited the example of Dorcus Inzikuru who won Uganda’s first gold medal in 3000m steeplechase at the 2005 games in Helsinki. She was promised a car and a house but has since only got a house.

Kampala Central MP, Mohammad Nsereko proposed that the Ministry of Finance should table a document containing the list of all unfulfilled presidential pledges to the sports sub-sector.    His proposal was supported by MPs.

According to the 2013 report of the parliamentary committee on government assurances, Museveni had not honored 817 of his promises since 1986.