English hampers debate in local council meetings
CONFUSION engulfed Nambieso LC3 council meeting recently, when the speaker, Bosco Ocepa, ordered the meeting to be conducted in English. As the meeting progressed, only the speaker and a few councillors were contributing. The other councillors looked on downcast.
By Joshua Kato
and Patrick Opio
CONFUSION engulfed Nambieso LC3 council meeting recently, when the speaker, Bosco Ocepa, ordered the meeting to be conducted in English.
“Honourable members, from today, we shall be using only English during council sessions as the law requires,†he declared.
As the meeting progressed, only the speaker and a few councillors were contributing. The other councillors looked on downcast.
After about 45 minutes, the councillors became rowdy. They refused to speak English, but rather Luo, their local language. Harriet Ongu, the woman councillor for Aronga and Etekiber, moved a motion in favour of Luo and it was passed unanimously. The meeting then went on peacefully with vibrant deliberations by all members.
National dilemma
The situation in most local councils throughout the country is not different from Nambieso’s. Thousands of councillors cannot express themselves in English. For example, during a council meeting at Makindye Division headquarters in December, the debate was conducted by a few councillors because the rest could not speak English.
“All councillors should be fluent in English,†says Jackson Bambalira, the LC5 chairman of Bundibugyo district.
Some councils use English and another common language in a given area.
“We use English and Luluuli,†says James Wandira Muruuli, the LC5 chairman of Nakasongola district.
In some councils, councillors are free to use any language as long as the clerk understands.
“In our council, everybody is free to debate in either English or Luganda,†says Lt. Ahmed Katono, a councillor in Kikaaya Parish, Kawempe Division.
Katono says they have never agreed on an official language.
What the law says
Rules of procedure for councils (1998), rule number 6 (1) says the proceedings of a council shall be conducted in English. Where a member cannot express him or herself in English, he or she may ask for permission to use a local language and an interpreter be provided by the clerk.
Rule 6 (2) says notwithstanding the provisions of sub-rule (1), a council may resolve to debate in any local language, provided the minutes are recorded in English. The council also has powers to set up by-laws regarding council business.
Thus, there is a provision for a local language to be used, but the minutes must be recorded in English. However, since most of the councillors do not understand English, the records may be useless to them.
In Kenya and Tanzania, everybody understands Swahili and this is the language used to conduct local leadership business in the two countries. However, since Uganda does not have a national language, local council debates are carried out in English or the local language in an area.
For example, in Buganda, Luganda is used and Ateso in Teso. In Bunyoro and Ankole, Runyoro, Runyankore and Rukiga are used, while Lugbara and Luo are common in the West-Nile and some parts of Lango.
“Let the legislation be changed to allow council minutes be recorded in a language understood regionally,†says Emmanuel Ssetaala, a local council leader in Wakiso.
Councillors’ qualifications
The failure of councillors to express themselves in English raises questions about their qualifications.
According to the Local Councils Elections Act, the LC5 must have an equivalent of at least A-Level certificate, but there are no specified qualifications for councillors.
Apac chief administrative officer, Stanley Adrabo, says: “There is a problem with council speakers. Some of them cannot read legal books, the Local Governments Act and rules of procedures to guide council sessions.â€
However, there is no law stopping people who cannot express themselves in English from contesting for local council posts.
During the November 2006 Decentralisation Review Meeting at Hotel Africana, the issue of the academic qualifications of local leaders was raised. The State Minister for Local Government, Hope Mwesigye, explained that if academic qualifications for local council are to be raised, many of the seats may remain vacant since there are few educated people in villages.
Translate legal books
The problem is worsened by the fact that all rules governing local administration are written in English. Illiterate councillors cannot make informed decisions because they cannot understand law books.
On many occasions, sub-county chiefs bull doze the LC3 council because of their inability to effectively interprete laws, policies and guidelines in legal books.
The local councils sometimes get wrangles with civil servants due to failure to understand government programmes.
There is, therefore, a need for the Government to translate Local Government legal books into local languages to ease the work of local councils.
Some civil servants quote flimsy sections in the Local Government Act and Financial Regulations and Accountability books, forcing councillors to remain silent. This can only be changed if these law books are translated.
Local councils, send your programmes for meetings and other activities to Local Leader, by sending an e-mail localleader@ newvision.co.ug
and Patrick Opio
CONFUSION engulfed Nambieso LC3 council meeting recently, when the speaker, Bosco Ocepa, ordered the meeting to be conducted in English.
“Honourable members, from today, we shall be using only English during council sessions as the law requires,†he declared.
As the meeting progressed, only the speaker and a few councillors were contributing. The other councillors looked on downcast.
After about 45 minutes, the councillors became rowdy. They refused to speak English, but rather Luo, their local language. Harriet Ongu, the woman councillor for Aronga and Etekiber, moved a motion in favour of Luo and it was passed unanimously. The meeting then went on peacefully with vibrant deliberations by all members.
National dilemma
The situation in most local councils throughout the country is not different from Nambieso’s. Thousands of councillors cannot express themselves in English. For example, during a council meeting at Makindye Division headquarters in December, the debate was conducted by a few councillors because the rest could not speak English.
“All councillors should be fluent in English,†says Jackson Bambalira, the LC5 chairman of Bundibugyo district.
Some councils use English and another common language in a given area.
“We use English and Luluuli,†says James Wandira Muruuli, the LC5 chairman of Nakasongola district.
In some councils, councillors are free to use any language as long as the clerk understands.
“In our council, everybody is free to debate in either English or Luganda,†says Lt. Ahmed Katono, a councillor in Kikaaya Parish, Kawempe Division.
Katono says they have never agreed on an official language.
What the law says
Rules of procedure for councils (1998), rule number 6 (1) says the proceedings of a council shall be conducted in English. Where a member cannot express him or herself in English, he or she may ask for permission to use a local language and an interpreter be provided by the clerk.
Rule 6 (2) says notwithstanding the provisions of sub-rule (1), a council may resolve to debate in any local language, provided the minutes are recorded in English. The council also has powers to set up by-laws regarding council business.
Thus, there is a provision for a local language to be used, but the minutes must be recorded in English. However, since most of the councillors do not understand English, the records may be useless to them.
In Kenya and Tanzania, everybody understands Swahili and this is the language used to conduct local leadership business in the two countries. However, since Uganda does not have a national language, local council debates are carried out in English or the local language in an area.
For example, in Buganda, Luganda is used and Ateso in Teso. In Bunyoro and Ankole, Runyoro, Runyankore and Rukiga are used, while Lugbara and Luo are common in the West-Nile and some parts of Lango.
“Let the legislation be changed to allow council minutes be recorded in a language understood regionally,†says Emmanuel Ssetaala, a local council leader in Wakiso.
Councillors’ qualifications
The failure of councillors to express themselves in English raises questions about their qualifications.
According to the Local Councils Elections Act, the LC5 must have an equivalent of at least A-Level certificate, but there are no specified qualifications for councillors.
Apac chief administrative officer, Stanley Adrabo, says: “There is a problem with council speakers. Some of them cannot read legal books, the Local Governments Act and rules of procedures to guide council sessions.â€
However, there is no law stopping people who cannot express themselves in English from contesting for local council posts.
During the November 2006 Decentralisation Review Meeting at Hotel Africana, the issue of the academic qualifications of local leaders was raised. The State Minister for Local Government, Hope Mwesigye, explained that if academic qualifications for local council are to be raised, many of the seats may remain vacant since there are few educated people in villages.
Translate legal books
The problem is worsened by the fact that all rules governing local administration are written in English. Illiterate councillors cannot make informed decisions because they cannot understand law books.
On many occasions, sub-county chiefs bull doze the LC3 council because of their inability to effectively interprete laws, policies and guidelines in legal books.
The local councils sometimes get wrangles with civil servants due to failure to understand government programmes.
There is, therefore, a need for the Government to translate Local Government legal books into local languages to ease the work of local councils.
Some civil servants quote flimsy sections in the Local Government Act and Financial Regulations and Accountability books, forcing councillors to remain silent. This can only be changed if these law books are translated.
Local councils, send your programmes for meetings and other activities to Local Leader, by sending an e-mail localleader@ newvision.co.ug