Kabale district chairperson risks impeachment

KABALE-Patrick Besigye Keihwa, the Kabale district chairperson risks being impeached for alleged incompetence.

 

11 councillors have signed a petition seeking to impeach him. The councillors are calling for a motion to censure the chairperson.

 

The councillors on Monday delivered a petition to Alfred Nkerabigwi, the district clerk to the council.

 

The petitioners claim that Keihwa has failed to respond to district human resource queries and has mismanaged the process of recruitment of employees.

 

They allege that staff recruitment at the district has been marred by irregularities for quite some time.

 

"The situation is not helped by the uncalled for recruitment of a whole lot of office attendants and other staff since January 2018 to date, absorbed illegally," reads part of the petition.

 

Petitioners also accuse Keihwa of aiding corruption promotion especially during the time when Eng. James Kigganda was the district engineer. They noted that the district did not register any capital projects despite the huge financial losses.

 

It should be noted that in December, 2018, Keihwa and district councillors clashed over the District Public Accounts Committee-PAC report.

 

The report dated November 29, 2018 called for action against the former Kabale Deputy District Engineer, James Kiganda who had been accused of misusing over sh40m meant to rehabilitate roads in 2016/2017 financial year.

 

The councillors' decision followed a monitoring and evaluation exercise which established that there was no work done on the proposed rehabilitation of the 8km- Mparo-Butambi road in Rwamucucu Sub County and the installation of steel culverts at Nyakashebeya Church of Uganda Bridge in Kashambya Sub County, Rukiga district.

 

The committee also discovered deficiencies in the installation of culverts at Nyakasiru playground along Bukinda-Kahondo-Maziba road in Bukinda Sub County and the planned rehabilitation of Kasheregyenyi- Nyamabale-Katenga road in Kamuganguzi Sub County in Kabale district wasn't completed.

 

However, as Keihwa presented the report, he was booed by the councillors who demanded to know why he had a summary of the report instead of a detailed one.

 

Petitioners allege that since then two council sessions have so far elapsed without any response from Keihwa.

 

They also cited that Keihwa has always used non-designated drivers on the brand new pickups attached to his office which contravenes standing orders.

 

Boaz March, the Ryakarimira town council councillor said Keihwa has been sidelining government employees, soliciting bribes and denying the district income.

 

"He has also enabled the inappropriate utilisation of district road equipment, the exhibition of conflict of interest and unnecessary litigation of Kabale district council,".

 

Florence Musiimenta, the Kabale district workers councillor said she is concerned about the six new councillors elected in July 2018 that have not received their allowances since then.

 

"We passed a supplementary budget at a session held on 30th May 2019. We expected this budget to meet our allowances but it has all been in vain," said Musiimenta.

 

When contacted about the move, Keihwa said he has not accessed the petition but said he was optimistic that even if the impeachment process started, he would come out successful.