By Juliet Waiswa

KAMPALA city councillors have dragged the mayor, Nasser Sebaggala, Kampala City Council and five banks to court over freezing of the city coffers.

The councillors in an application of September 2 are seeking an order to compel the mayor and the banks to re-open the coffers.

The councillors, through their lawyers Alaka and Company Advocates, have argued that the said persons are interfering with service delivery to the people of Kampala.

On August 12, Sebaggala wrote to dfcu Bank, Stanbic Bank, Housing Finance Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Africa and Orient Bank to freeze all the KCC transactions and signature of Ruth Kijjambu, the former acting town clerk, from all the KCC accounts.

The move followed the removal of Kijjambu from the post of acting town clerk by the local government ministry, replacing her with Abbey Iga.

Kijjambu on August 17, obtained a High Court order blocking the move to have her vacate her office until the case is disposed of.

The court order was granted by Justice Vincent Musoke-Kibuuka and will remain in force until October 5, when the case will come up for mention and hearing.

However, during a meeting on August 19, the councillors resolved that all city council accounts frozen on the instructions of Sebaggala be reopened immediately.

They said the mayor acted unfairly and illegally in keeping the accounts frozen despite being served with the council’s resolution and the court order.

They allege that Kijjambu communicated to the banks asking them to reopen the accounts, but they refused.