Busia district council strikes over payment
Nov 18, 2009
BUSIA district councilors on Tuesday boycotted a council meeting over their unpaid allowances amounting to over sh15m.
By Egessa Hajusu
BUSIA district councilors on Tuesday boycotted a council meeting over their unpaid allowances amounting to over sh15m.
The boycott came after Dabani sub-county councillor Nafutali Wegalo moved a motion seeking an adjournment of the session chaired by the LC5 chairperson, Patrick Wedakule.
“For the last three months, we have not received what is due to us,†Wegulo said.
He said the council had passed the budget which caters for the councillor’s emoluments and appealed to the implementers to adhere to the schedules of payment.
In support of the motion, John Mulimba of Bulumbi sub-county, wondered how the district could claim to be providing services to the residents, yet it had failed to cater for a few councillors.
Efforts by the district secretary for finance, Charles Malowa Kudedi, who is also the LC5 vice-chairman, to calm them were futile as the councillors demanded the adjournment until they are paid.
Adubaka Mangeni, the Buhehe sub-county councillor, said the district administrators were used to confrontational language and that it had become a habit for councillors to be paid after wrangles.
“We use money to travel across our constituencies,†Mangeni said.
It is not a good idea for the councillors to beg for money from their electorates to facilitate their movements to the district headquarters, he added.
When the speaker, Geoffrey Wandera, ruled that council had been adjourned until payments are made, some councillors booed the district chairperson and the speaker as they were being led out by the sergeant-at-arms.
“All of you in that line have been paid and you expect us to continue working without payment,†one councillor shouted.
The technical officers including the newly posted chief administrative officer Grace Adong who were in attendance, watched the drama as it happened.
BUSIA district councilors on Tuesday boycotted a council meeting over their unpaid allowances amounting to over sh15m.
The boycott came after Dabani sub-county councillor Nafutali Wegalo moved a motion seeking an adjournment of the session chaired by the LC5 chairperson, Patrick Wedakule.
“For the last three months, we have not received what is due to us,†Wegulo said.
He said the council had passed the budget which caters for the councillor’s emoluments and appealed to the implementers to adhere to the schedules of payment.
In support of the motion, John Mulimba of Bulumbi sub-county, wondered how the district could claim to be providing services to the residents, yet it had failed to cater for a few councillors.
Efforts by the district secretary for finance, Charles Malowa Kudedi, who is also the LC5 vice-chairman, to calm them were futile as the councillors demanded the adjournment until they are paid.
Adubaka Mangeni, the Buhehe sub-county councillor, said the district administrators were used to confrontational language and that it had become a habit for councillors to be paid after wrangles.
“We use money to travel across our constituencies,†Mangeni said.
It is not a good idea for the councillors to beg for money from their electorates to facilitate their movements to the district headquarters, he added.
When the speaker, Geoffrey Wandera, ruled that council had been adjourned until payments are made, some councillors booed the district chairperson and the speaker as they were being led out by the sergeant-at-arms.
“All of you in that line have been paid and you expect us to continue working without payment,†one councillor shouted.
The technical officers including the newly posted chief administrative officer Grace Adong who were in attendance, watched the drama as it happened.