Mayuge told to re-instate vice-chairman
Apr 15, 2010
<br>LOCAL government ministry officials on Tuesday forced Mayuge district council to rescind an earlier decision to throw out the acting LC5 chief, Samuel Mulungi.
By George Bita and Betty Angatai
LOCAL government ministry officials on Tuesday forced Mayuge district council to rescind an earlier decision to throw out the acting LC5 chief, Samuel Mulungi.
Patrick Mutabwire, the director of the local government commission, told the councillors that the law does not provide for a substantive acting district chairman while a vice-chairman existed.
“We do not have a structure in local government where you get an acting chairman while the district has a vice-chairman,†Mutabwire explained.
However, there was drama when the councillors declined to meet the officials in an emergency council session at the district hall, opting for an ordinary meeting instead.
The councillors had argued that according to the Local Government Act, it is only the minister and not mere officials whom they could meet under that arrangement.
The venue was then shifted to the Resource Centre in Mayuge town where the councillors simply listened to Mutabwire and Deo Wasswa, a senior research officer.
Mayuge district council recently dropped Mulungi, whom they hurriedly replaced with the speaker, Fred Wajokirana.
Mulungi had been vice-chairman to Baker Ikoba Tigawalana, who went missing in December last year after the Supreme Court convicted him for the 1993 murder of his political rival, Fred Nume Musiitwa.
Mutabwire warned the chief administrative officer, Henry Makumbi, over the hasty move to swear in Wajokirana as acting LC5 chief.
“Mulungi will serve in acting capacity until the Electoral Commission organises by-elections to fill the seat,†he directed.
LOCAL government ministry officials on Tuesday forced Mayuge district council to rescind an earlier decision to throw out the acting LC5 chief, Samuel Mulungi.
Patrick Mutabwire, the director of the local government commission, told the councillors that the law does not provide for a substantive acting district chairman while a vice-chairman existed.
“We do not have a structure in local government where you get an acting chairman while the district has a vice-chairman,†Mutabwire explained.
However, there was drama when the councillors declined to meet the officials in an emergency council session at the district hall, opting for an ordinary meeting instead.
The councillors had argued that according to the Local Government Act, it is only the minister and not mere officials whom they could meet under that arrangement.
The venue was then shifted to the Resource Centre in Mayuge town where the councillors simply listened to Mutabwire and Deo Wasswa, a senior research officer.
Mayuge district council recently dropped Mulungi, whom they hurriedly replaced with the speaker, Fred Wajokirana.
Mulungi had been vice-chairman to Baker Ikoba Tigawalana, who went missing in December last year after the Supreme Court convicted him for the 1993 murder of his political rival, Fred Nume Musiitwa.
Mutabwire warned the chief administrative officer, Henry Makumbi, over the hasty move to swear in Wajokirana as acting LC5 chief.
“Mulungi will serve in acting capacity until the Electoral Commission organises by-elections to fill the seat,†he directed.