Political party presidents under the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) are reportedly set to benefit from a government-funded vehicle programme aimed at strengthening their ability to carry out party activities across the country.
Sources familiar with the discussions say the IPOD Council of Secretary Generals has approved a resolution to provide official vehicles to leaders of political parties affiliated with the platform.
Among those expected to benefit are National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) leader Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, whose party is reportedly expected to be formally admitted into IPOD next month.
According to information obtained by this publication, each vehicle is estimated to cost approximately Shs800 million. Sources say the justification presented during the discussions is that leaders of political parties represented in Parliament require reliable four-wheel-drive vehicles capable of travelling across the country, including remote rural areas with poor road networks, as they mobilise support and oversee party activities.
The funds for the proposed procurement are reportedly expected to be released during the next quarter of the current financial year if the plan proceeds as anticipated.
Insiders further claim that once the first batch of vehicles for party presidents has been procured, attention will shift to purchasing another fleet for Secretary Generals of political parties under IPOD. Those vehicles are said to be valued at not less than Shs500 million each.
The reported development comes amid ongoing discussions about public financing of political parties and the role of IPOD in promoting dialogue among Uganda’s registered political organisations. IPOD has over the years served as a platform for engagement between participating political parties on governance, electoral reforms and national policy issues.
By the time of publication, IPOD had not publicly announced the reported vehicle procurement programme, and there had been no official communication confirming the alleged budget allocations or procurement timelines.