Kyotera town council boss punched me â€" treasurer
Oct 26, 2008
Kyotera town council chairperson Charles Mande Lugumya was on Thursday arrested after he allegedly assaulted the council’s treasurer, Robert Kasendwa.
By Ali Mambule
Kyotera town council chairperson Charles Mande Lugumya was on Thursday arrested after he allegedly assaulted the council’s treasurer, Robert Kasendwa.
The mayor is said to have held Kasendwa by the neck tie, slapped and kicked him, before pushing him to the ground, during an executive meeting that had convened in the council chambers.
“Mande was released on Police bond on Friday because we could not detain him for more than 48 hours,†Rakai district Police commander Juma Okungo said, adding that Mande would be summoned to court when Kasendwa’s doctor’s report was ready.
“I felt helpless and I had to rush to Masaka Hospital for an emergency treatment because I felt bad,†Kasendwa told The New Vision.
The scuffle is said to have started when Kasendwa told the executive council members that there was no money in the treasury to pay Mande’s salary.
He said Mande had refused to sign the 2008/9 budget, which had caused a shortage of funds in the council.
“The members were grilling me over the poor flow of funds. When I explained to them, Mande opted to punish me by beating me like his kid,†Kasendwa said.
He said Mande declined to sign the budget because his allowance and salary had been reduced from sh960,000 to sh600,000 as directed by the local government ministry.
“The ministry advised the town clerk to stop paying Mande allowances totalling to sh660,000, which are meant for district and municipality leaders,†Kasendwa explained.
He said the council had decided to give Mande a fuel allowance of sh300,000, which raised his monthly earnings to sh600,000.
Since the budget was not signed, Kasendwa said, the mayor could not be paid.
Efforts to reach Mande were in vain as his mobile phone was switched off.
Kyotera town council chairperson Charles Mande Lugumya was on Thursday arrested after he allegedly assaulted the council’s treasurer, Robert Kasendwa.
The mayor is said to have held Kasendwa by the neck tie, slapped and kicked him, before pushing him to the ground, during an executive meeting that had convened in the council chambers.
“Mande was released on Police bond on Friday because we could not detain him for more than 48 hours,†Rakai district Police commander Juma Okungo said, adding that Mande would be summoned to court when Kasendwa’s doctor’s report was ready.
“I felt helpless and I had to rush to Masaka Hospital for an emergency treatment because I felt bad,†Kasendwa told The New Vision.
The scuffle is said to have started when Kasendwa told the executive council members that there was no money in the treasury to pay Mande’s salary.
He said Mande had refused to sign the 2008/9 budget, which had caused a shortage of funds in the council.
“The members were grilling me over the poor flow of funds. When I explained to them, Mande opted to punish me by beating me like his kid,†Kasendwa said.
He said Mande declined to sign the budget because his allowance and salary had been reduced from sh960,000 to sh600,000 as directed by the local government ministry.
“The ministry advised the town clerk to stop paying Mande allowances totalling to sh660,000, which are meant for district and municipality leaders,†Kasendwa explained.
He said the council had decided to give Mande a fuel allowance of sh300,000, which raised his monthly earnings to sh600,000.
Since the budget was not signed, Kasendwa said, the mayor could not be paid.
Efforts to reach Mande were in vain as his mobile phone was switched off.