Ssematimba receives baptism of fire
Jun 05, 2009
When Peter Ssematimba was elected chairman of Rubaga Division, he knew it was not going to be easy heading an opposition stronghold.
When Peter Ssematimba was elected chairman of Rubaga Division, he knew it was not going to be easy heading an opposition stronghold.
So he chose a balanced executive of two NRM and two DP members and called a special council last Tuesday to present them for vetting.
Clashes started earlier than expected. One of the councillors demanded to know why the security was so tight at the division headquarters. The RDC, Zaina Muwonge, had deployed Police officers at the venue a few hours before the meeting.
The councillors rejected her explanation and a motion was passed to adjourn the council till the security men had left.
As soon as council resumed, it was halted again after the councillors refused to approve the proposed executive members saying they had no details about them and even demanded that Ssematimba first signs a memorandum of understanding with DP, allowing him to appoint its members to the executive. They gave him up to Monday next week and adjourned the meeting.
Ssematimba could not believe this! He later told journalists that he had actually talked to each of these councillors and agreed with them on the issues. “In business, people stick to their promises but in politics they change like chameleons,†he said
“This was a baptism of fire. How can council adjourn over petty issues? Anyway, I had to keep a smile not show my disappointment. But I have no alternative but to work with the opposition,†Ssematimba added
So he chose a balanced executive of two NRM and two DP members and called a special council last Tuesday to present them for vetting.
Clashes started earlier than expected. One of the councillors demanded to know why the security was so tight at the division headquarters. The RDC, Zaina Muwonge, had deployed Police officers at the venue a few hours before the meeting.
The councillors rejected her explanation and a motion was passed to adjourn the council till the security men had left.
As soon as council resumed, it was halted again after the councillors refused to approve the proposed executive members saying they had no details about them and even demanded that Ssematimba first signs a memorandum of understanding with DP, allowing him to appoint its members to the executive. They gave him up to Monday next week and adjourned the meeting.
Ssematimba could not believe this! He later told journalists that he had actually talked to each of these councillors and agreed with them on the issues. “In business, people stick to their promises but in politics they change like chameleons,†he said
“This was a baptism of fire. How can council adjourn over petty issues? Anyway, I had to keep a smile not show my disappointment. But I have no alternative but to work with the opposition,†Ssematimba added