Singer Catherine Kusasira now earns a health Shs6 million per month, up from Shs2.5 million just a year ago, Parliament has heard. Ms Kusasira is a special presidential assistant for political affairs.
The revelation is contained in a minority report on the 2024/25 Appropriation Bill presented by Shadow Finance minister Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganga during Thursday’s plenary sitting that approved the 2024/25 National Budget.
The report was presented on the back of the corrigenda of the National Budget, presented and approved by Parliament on the cuff with Shs14 trillion increment that had not been scrutinised before – and against the earlier ceiling presented by Finance ministry.
“If you look at the payroll of last year, she was getting Shs2.5 million. She got an accelerated increment because she now earns Shs6 million,” said Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju, who termed the decisions as “political fraud”.
The Opposition, in their minority report on the 2024/25 Appropriation Bill, identified wasteful expenditure worth Shs5.5 trillion that should be removed from the budget, although the appeal was rejected by Parliament.
Ssemujju said implementers of the President’s payroll have the greatest of the difficulties. People of higher qualifications, he added, are paid less compared to those with no qualifications at all.
“Musicians, bum exhibitors have all been drafted onto State House and President Office payroll,” he said.
The ‘bum exhibitor reference is to Mr Yiga Wamala, also known as Yiga Kisakyamukama, who was recently appointed as Gomba Deputy Resident District Commissioner.
Mr Wamala infamously recorded himself ranting at the Opposition National Unity Platform party and its supporters and a kingdom before concluding the expletives and basket of curses by dropping his trousers to reveal his buttocks in its raw form.
Kusasira was recruited as an NRM campaign agent alongside fellow musician Mark Bugembe, aka Buchaman in 2021 – with the latter earning deputy Shs2.3 million per month as a special presidential assistant on political affairs.
“Her designation, like many of other Museveni employees, has changed to senior presidential assistant [on] underprivileged youth,” the vocal legislator said.
“Her file number is given as 62019. A column meant to show academic qualification, now has NIN [national identification number].”
Longtime presidential advisor Naava Nabagesera still earns Shs2.3 million as a special presidential assistant on political affairs.
The highest earners among the mobilisers Ssemujju indicated in the minority report are Henry Isoke, a senior presidential advisor on political affairs, who takes home Shs24 million per month, and Charles Lwanga Lutaaya with Shs21.6 million for the same title.
The least paid mobilisers, John Chrisostom Sseninde, Joseph Wamala and Ramla Baker Zubair earn Shse386,972.
Ssemujju said State House and President Office both now operate like NRM headquarters at taxpayers’ expense.
“All vigilantes that should be at the NRM offices, are on the pay-roll of State House. This is political fraud. Ask yourself, what is presidential about Kusasira? May be the bum since the President is even appointing those exhibiting them fresh and bare
