By Solomon Hamala
BUGWERI
Bugweri District Councilors have continued to pile more pressure for the ouster of the Chief Administrative Officer this time blaming him for deliberately refusing to recruit Departmental Heads.
Led by the Speaker, Peter Muzeyi Balunywa the councilors accuse Nelson Kirenda of always sabotaging plans to recruit members of staff to fill vacant positions at the district headquarters.
The female district councilor Bugweri, Peace Kagoya said the move by the chief administrative officer is aimed at giving him all powers to handle all assignments alone.
“He wants to work alone which is not possible yet there are other employees who are in a better position to run business,” she said.
The councilors made the revelations during a dialogue held at Bugweri Town Council offices organized by the equal opportunity commission on Thursday, 24th August 2023.
Balunywa said they have on several occasions written to relevant government officials about the manner in which the chief administrative officer handles matters concerning the district in vain.
Balunywa said 4 billion shillings was returned to the national treasury during the just concluded financial year simply because Bugweri district failed to utilize it.
“We are tired of failing to utilize funds for the last four years just because the district lacks departmental heads yet there is a provision from government for their wages,” he said.
He said several projects like construction of the district headquarters have stalled for the past four years yet funds are being embezzled by top officials and no action is taken.
The district councilor Namalemba sub county who is also the secretary finance, Samuel Balikowa asked the Inspector General of Government to intervene to carry out investigations into the alleged disappearance of shillings 2.9 billion start up fund given to the district by government when it was started in 2016.
Balikowa said councilors have resolved to soon close offices of the district headquarters in case the chief administrative officer is not transferred within the next two weeks.
The LC 5 chairman Bugweri, Hajji Shafiq Muziransa said the district has vast minerals that would help generate local revenue to complete projects but mining has failed to kick start due to bureaucracy within the relevant ministry.
“We identified the areas where the minerals are and government proposed to first compensate persons who were to be affected but now the entire process has abruptly stopped “he said
Muziransa said the government had committed 400 million shillings towards partial construction of the district headquarters.
The chairperson equal opportunities commission, Hajjati Safia Nalule Juuko urged district leaders to always include female, disabled in the budgeting process to ensure they enjoy lives equitably.
“Make sure whenever you make a budget make a provision for some funds construct a ramp for the disabled in schools, hospitals so that these people freely access them “she said
Nalule said the wrangles that have engulfed Bugweri district are likely to affect development since district councilors have always opposed chief administrative officers posted there.
“Its not the first time that councilors are opposing the chief administrative officer here in this district because some time back during a meeting that was held in the same place here all of them marched out after his predecessor entered “she said
She urged leaders to unite in case the district is to gain meaningful development that would help propel development in the area.
Nalule said Busoga region receives a huge amount of funding from the government but there is less impact in terms of development since most leaders are involved in fights, bickering and intrigue.
The chief administrative officer Bugweri, Nelson Kirenda when contacted for a comment at his office said the complaints raised by the councilors are being investigated by the office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG).
“I was interrogated by the inspector general of government recently for a full day over this same matter being raised by the councilors and I don’t feel right commenting about it “he said
