Sembabule LCs reconcile
Aug 03, 2006
LOCAL Government minister Kahinda Otafiire and his state minister Hope Mwesigye have reconciled rivalling Sembabule district councillors whose wrangles had brought business to a standstill.
By Eddie Ssejjoba
and Dismus Buregyeya
LOCAL Government minister Kahinda Otafiire and his state minister Hope Mwesigye have reconciled rivalling Sembabule district councillors whose wrangles had brought business to a standstill.
In a council session that was first presided over by Mwesigye and later by Maj. Gen. Otafiire on Friday, the councillors finally agreed to pass a vote on accounts of sh1.8b for the next three months to enable the district access operational accounts.
Teachers and health workers had threatened to strike due to delayed payment of salaries totalling over sh300m that had been frozen in the bank because there was no budget in place to allow the use of the money.
Otafiire had threatened that the central government would be forced to take over the administration of the district if the council failed to reach a consensus this time.
He later addressed the council and thanked them for accepting to work together once again, saying wrangling would halt development in the area.
During the council meeting, eight councillors from the opposition group rejected LC5 chairman Herman Ssentongo’s offers to serve on the executive. They did not give reasons for rejecting the appointments.
Ssentongo later nominated two other names from his group, but Deborah Nabadda was rejected while Fatuma Namugula was approved to serve on the executive. Issa Ntumwa’s appointment had earlier been rejected.
Ssentongo finally accepted to have two people on his executive, including vice-chairman Saison Ssali.
He said he would perform the duties of the two unfilled posts.
The council also accepted the budget preamble and dissolved the general-purpose committee, and instead passed two standing committees — of finance and planning, and of technical services.
Ssentongo told journalists that he was upset by the move by eight councillors to refuse to work with him and then reject those he had nominated.
“They accepted to reconcile and work together but they still rejected posts to work on the executive,†he said. He, however, said he was happy that they had moved a step forward.
MP Theodore Ssekikubo attended the council.
and Dismus Buregyeya
LOCAL Government minister Kahinda Otafiire and his state minister Hope Mwesigye have reconciled rivalling Sembabule district councillors whose wrangles had brought business to a standstill.
In a council session that was first presided over by Mwesigye and later by Maj. Gen. Otafiire on Friday, the councillors finally agreed to pass a vote on accounts of sh1.8b for the next three months to enable the district access operational accounts.
Teachers and health workers had threatened to strike due to delayed payment of salaries totalling over sh300m that had been frozen in the bank because there was no budget in place to allow the use of the money.
Otafiire had threatened that the central government would be forced to take over the administration of the district if the council failed to reach a consensus this time.
He later addressed the council and thanked them for accepting to work together once again, saying wrangling would halt development in the area.
During the council meeting, eight councillors from the opposition group rejected LC5 chairman Herman Ssentongo’s offers to serve on the executive. They did not give reasons for rejecting the appointments.
Ssentongo later nominated two other names from his group, but Deborah Nabadda was rejected while Fatuma Namugula was approved to serve on the executive. Issa Ntumwa’s appointment had earlier been rejected.
Ssentongo finally accepted to have two people on his executive, including vice-chairman Saison Ssali.
He said he would perform the duties of the two unfilled posts.
The council also accepted the budget preamble and dissolved the general-purpose committee, and instead passed two standing committees — of finance and planning, and of technical services.
Ssentongo told journalists that he was upset by the move by eight councillors to refuse to work with him and then reject those he had nominated.
“They accepted to reconcile and work together but they still rejected posts to work on the executive,†he said. He, however, said he was happy that they had moved a step forward.
MP Theodore Ssekikubo attended the council.