Wrangles threaten to split up Ssembabule

May 28, 2008

AS one drives through the small dusty town of Ssembabule, one sees potential to develop. Shops are open and people are trading; big herds of cattle are grazing by the roadside all the way from Masaka. There is also a big tourism potential, since the famous Bigobya Mugenyi (the former palace for the

By Joshua Kato

AS one drives through the small dusty town of Ssembabule, one sees potential to develop. Shops are open and people are trading; big herds of cattle are grazing by the roadside all the way from Masaka. There is also a big tourism potential, since the famous Bigobya Mugenyi (the former palace for the kings of the Bachwezi) is found in the district.

Ssembabule became a district 11 years ago. It borders Lyantonde and Kiruhura, which is one of the most progressive districts. There are thousands of cattle and goats, which should be the basis for financial prosperity.

However, with all the potential, the poverty level in the district is around 45%, which is higher than the national average of 31%. Ssembabule is also rocked by conflicts. For over six years, the district leaders have been involved wrangles.

One group is led by foreign affairs minister Sam Kuteesa and it includes the chief administrative officer (CAO), Robert Twesigye, and deposed woman MP Hanifa Kawooya. The other group has LC5 chairman Herman Ssentongo, Mawogola MP Theodore Ssekikubo and former woman LC5 contestant Joy Kabatsi.

“The bickering has created divisions, which have undermined all efforts geared towards the development of the district,” Ssentongo says.
Currently, the district has no CAO, since Twesigye went on sick leave. The Government appointed Paul Walakira to take over in Twesigye’s absence, but he has not yet taken office.
Ssekikubo and Ssentongo allege that Walakira is being prevented from taking the office because he is a Muganda.

“Over sh13b is at stake. There is no accounting officer to take charge of the district finances,” Ssentongo laments.
However, in a recent interview, Kuteesa denied any involvement in Walakira’s failure to take over office. “I do not even know who the new CAO is. Therefore, I would not have stopped somebody I do not know from taking over,” he says.
Being a multi-tribal district, tribal talk is inevitable in Ssembabule.

NRM vs NRM

The majority of the people in Ssembabule support the National Resistance Movement party (NRM). In the 2006 elections President Yoweri Museveni got over 85% of the votes from the district.
More so, all the politicians in Ssembabule claim to be Movement supporters.

During the 2006 elections, Museveni intervened and tried to solve the conflict, but he failed.
At one of the rallies, Museveni introduced Dr. Elly Muhumuza as the official NRM candidate for the LC5 seat against Ssentongo. Muhumuza, who was fronted by the Kuteesa camp, had won the NRM primaries for the seat.

However, at another rally Museveni introduced Ssentongo as the NRM candidate although he was running as an independent. Ssentongo won the elections and became LC5 chairman for the third term.
After the elections, the wrangles became more profound.
“The manner in which the elections were held intensified the wrangling in the district. The elections involved some malpractices. That is why the courts overturned the election of woman MP Hanifa Kawooya,” Ssentongo says.
Ssekikubo quotes one of the political heavy weights in the district as saying that they would make life difficult for Ssentongo if he won the elections.

Divided civil service

Ssentongo also claims that the opposing group forces civil servants to do certain things. For example, the district spent a long time without a budget because the chairman was being stopped from reading it. As a result, many projects were retarded.

The other issue involves the awarding of contracts in the district. Because the district contracts committee and the CAO are influenced by one of the groups, all contracts are awarded to companies whose owners supported members of that group during the elections. Such contracts include road maintenance and construction of classrooms.

Divided council

Of the 16 councillors, 10 are allegedly in Kuteesa’s camp and only six support Ssentongo.
This has not only stopped the chairman from passing resolutions, but also left him without a full executive.

“It is almost two years after the elections, but I do not have a full executive. Many of the councillors were influenced by my opponents and they refused to work with me. I was forced to retain almost all my old executive,” he laments.
The anti-Ssentongo councillors include the district speaker Ssebugwawo. But Ssebugwawo blames the chairperson.

“This problem is caused by Ssentongo. He moves around the district talking ill of other politicians,” Ssebugwawo says.
The fact that even the speaker opposes the LC5 chairman shows how delicate the leadership problem in Ssembabule is.
Both camps claim that none of them has a personal grudge against the other.

“Ssekikubo and I have no problem working with the Minister, but he has a problem working with us. If we worked together, Ssembabule would benefit from being home to such a powerful minister,” Ssentongo says.
On the other side, Kuteesa also said in an interview that he did not have time for Ssekikubo or Ssentongo.

“Whenever they get a problem, they blame it on me. But I have no time for them. I have heard that they have problems with councillors, but that is not part of my business,” Kuteesa said.

Even Kuteesa’s efforts to fight poverty are seen in a different light. He recently started a revolving fund, where he invested over sh200m.
“The Minister might have genuinely started this programme to fight poverty, but those who oppose him see it differently,” says Steven Mawanda, a shop keeper in Ssembabule town.

Residents of Ssembabule and other stakeholders say this conflict is not leading them anywhere.
“My problem is not even about who is in leadership. I want water for my animals. I want good roads to take my produce to Masaka,” says Eria Mutyaba, who has a shop in the town.

“We should realise that Ssembabule does not belong to Ssentongo or Ssekikubo. Neither does it belong to Kuteesa or Kawooya. It belongs to the residents who elected us. Let us stop the wrangles now and work for the people,” Ssentongo says.

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