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Uganda: MPs Issue Ultimatum for Nodding Funds

By Staff 23/02/2012 05:59:00

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Ministry of Finance has directed the Health ministry to cut its budget by Shs2 billion to find money needed to manage the nodding disease in northern Uganda.

Junior Finance Minister Fred Omach, who was appearing before Parliament's Budget Committee, said they have written to Ministry of Health directing it to reallocate the money and use it for the first phase of the disease intervention.

"We have already identified areas in their budget where they can swing. The balance will be handled in a later supplementary," he said, without divulging which areas will be cut.

Health broke?

However, the Health ministry communications officer, Ms Rukia Nakamatte, yesterday said they do not have any more money to reallocate, saying doing so would stall other programmes within the ministry.

The ministry had earlier allocated Shs100m for the ailment, some of which Ms Nakamatte says was used to set up treatment centres in Kitgum, Lamwo and Pader districts.

MP Dennis Obua (Ajuri) yesterday said nodding disease is an emergency which must be funded through a supplementary budget and not reallocations.

"We are reliably informed that Ministry of Health cut its budget and got only Shs100 million. Where do you expect them to get Shs2 billion? Unless government wants to cut money for HIV/Aids, maternal health, malaria and drugs," Mr Obua said.

Although questions abound on what the ministry would use the money for since the cause of the disease is still unknown, Ms Nakamatte says: "We will achieve a lot if this money is provided."

She listed research, treatment, sensitisation and surveillance as key areas that need to be financed. MPs gave Finance up to Tuesday to find money for nodding disease as a matter of urgency or the committee cuts the Shs215.6 billion supplementary request to Parliament by Shs4 billion for the ailment that has claimed 200 lives.

MP Odonga Otto, who claimed 72 children died of the disease this week, moved a motion urging his colleagues to kick out the supplementary budget but no vote was cast on the motion.

"The money is not coming from anyone's house, it is taxpayers' money. If this money is not found we are going to make it difficult to have this supplementary approved on the floor of Parliament. Even if it means carrying away the Speaker's mace, I am ready to do it," Mr Otto said.

Mr Omach repeated what Finance Spokesperson Jim Mugunga told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that the letter from Health requesting for additional funding came late.

However, Ms Nakamatte yesterday said they delivered the letter to Finance on January 25 not on February 20, and could have delayed to reach the desk of the concerned official.

If Finance fails to provide the money requested for by Health, officials say they will bank on partners, some of whom have already pledged non-food items.

The Red Cross and MSF Italy have pledged to provide non-food items, while the Office of the Prime Minister has reportedly promised to provide food supplements, according to Ms Nakamatte.

Nodding disease remains a nightmare to the Acholi Sub-region, with at least 3,000 children affected by the disease and more than 1,500 have dropped out of school since the outbreak.

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