By John Masaba

MITYANA - Mityana Local council chairperson Deborah Kyazike Kinobe has been arrested. According to sources, the chairperson spent a night at Katwe Police Station.

Kampala Extra Metropolitan spokesperson, Ibin Ssekumbi, confirmed the arrest, but could not give details.

However, a source at the Police told New Vision that the Police could prefer charges of abuse of office against her.

Another source at the district said the chairperson is accused with her deputy, Gabriel Busagwa, of taking a sh15m bribe from a local contractor.

The contractor in question reportedly raised dust after he lost out on the contract to construct a road in Namugo sub-county in Mityana district. The contract according to the source was worth sh450m.

Police was reportedly able to link Kyazike and Busagwa to the crime after questioning one Iga Lule, who was used as a conduit through which they received the bribe.

Kasagwa is currently still at large.

Fred Wotonava, the Mityana Town LC5 councillor said Kyazike and her deputy mysteriously disappeared from office on December 19 .

“In the absence of the chairperson, it is the vice-chairperson who stands in. But for three weeks both offices are locked. Business of the district has come to standstill,” he said.

Wotova said when they heard on Thursday that their chairperson had been arrested, the councilors mobilised and travelled to Katwe Police station to commiserate with their chairperson, but she refused to talk to them.

The councilors have reportedly written to the Mityana district speaker, Aloysius Serumaga, to convene an extraordinary council meeting to chart a way forward.

“We have been complaining of shoddy work. We have so far blacklisted 14 companies. The Busfa Maize mill has swallowed sh40m, but still at the slab level. Yet some of our leaders have been protecting the contractors. We want to get to bottom of this mess,” he said.

Kyazike, who has risen through the ranks as councilor and speaker in the district, was elected chairperson in 2011. She is also the chairperson of district chairpersons in Buganda region.