Court reinstates suspended Pallisa district councilors
Jun 14, 2017
The four councillors are to resume work pending hearing of their main application.
PIC: Mathias Turyasingura ordering councillors out of the council hall after they had turned rowdy. (Credit: Lawrence Okwakol)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The High Court in Mbale has placed an interim order allowing the four suspended district councilors of Pallisa to resume council business pending the hearing of their main application.
Court was presided over by Mary Ikip, the deputy registrar.
Ikip said that Yusuf Menkere (Olok sub-county), Said Kulusumu Kulabe (Gogonyo sub-county), Gabriel Enyaru (Butebo) and Umar Shaban Nduga (Pallisa TC), who are the applicants requesting court to denounce their suspension, should resume business as usual as court looks at the main application.
The four, through their lawyer Deogratius Obedo, applied to the office of the registrar, citing illegalities in the manner Pallisa district speaker Emmanuel Odele suspended them for two council meetings and committee sittings, accusing them of indiscipline.
Obedo said his clients on May 4, 2017 were issued with suspension letters a month later outside council session for allegedly causing a scuffle that led to deferment of council business on March 31, 2017.
"I am happy court has reinstated the four councilors as we move on with the proceedings of the main application because over 95,000 people represented by these councilors would be disadvantaged", said the lawyer.
The interim order was made in the absence of Eric Mukisa, the counsel for the Attorney General who represented Pallisa district local government. Jude Martin Aisu, the assistant chief administrator, represented David Kawooya, the Pallisa chief administrative officer.
When reached for comment, Menkere said he didn't want to comment on issues before court but only said they will resume attending council.
On his part, Kulusumu said what pained her was the denial of attending the approval of the budget and doubts whether the concerns of their sub-counties were captured.
In his remarks, Enyaru said in district councils what sometimes is discussed in committee levels gets altered especially when it comes to resource allocation like boreholes and classrooms and needed the presence of the councilor.
The content of the suspension of the four councilors signed by Charles Kateu, Odele (district speaker) said their behavior in council was breached contrary to the Standard Rule of Procedure 31.
Odele the district speaker could not be reached for comment as his known phone number was off.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The High Court in Mbale has placed an interim order allowing the four suspended district councilors of Pallisa to resume council business pending the hearing of their main application.
Court was presided over by Mary Ikip, the deputy registrar.
Ikip said that Yusuf Menkere (Olok sub-county), Said Kulusumu Kulabe (Gogonyo sub-county), Gabriel Enyaru (Butebo) and Umar Shaban Nduga (Pallisa TC), who are the applicants requesting court to denounce their suspension, should resume business as usual as court looks at the main application.
The four, through their lawyer Deogratius Obedo, applied to the office of the registrar, citing illegalities in the manner Pallisa district speaker Emmanuel Odele suspended them for two council meetings and committee sittings, accusing them of indiscipline.
Obedo said his clients on May 4, 2017 were issued with suspension letters a month later outside council session for allegedly causing a scuffle that led to deferment of council business on March 31, 2017.
"I am happy court has reinstated the four councilors as we move on with the proceedings of the main application because over 95,000 people represented by these councilors would be disadvantaged", said the lawyer.
The interim order was made in the absence of Eric Mukisa, the counsel for the Attorney General who represented Pallisa district local government. Jude Martin Aisu, the assistant chief administrator, represented David Kawooya, the Pallisa chief administrative officer.
When reached for comment, Menkere said he didn't want to comment on issues before court but only said they will resume attending council.
On his part, Kulusumu said what pained her was the denial of attending the approval of the budget and doubts whether the concerns of their sub-counties were captured.
In his remarks, Enyaru said in district councils what sometimes is discussed in committee levels gets altered especially when it comes to resource allocation like boreholes and classrooms and needed the presence of the councilor.
The content of the suspension of the four councilors signed by Charles Kateu, Odele (district speaker) said their behavior in council was breached contrary to the Standard Rule of Procedure 31.
Odele the district speaker could not be reached for comment as his known phone number was off.