By Aaron Okotel
MBALE CITY
Security and political leaders in Mbale City have issued a stern warning to the newly sworn in local council leaders against overstepping their legal mandates, engaging in corruption, and failing to secure their communities.
The directive was delivered on Wednesday 7th October during a major refresher engagement meeting bringing together over 200 Village (LC1) and Parish (LC2) chairpersons from the Mbale City Industrial Division.
The induction was presided over by Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Wopuwa William, along with political and civil servants in the city.
Speaking during the meeting, Wopuwa emphasized that village chairpersons, who serve as heads of security at the village level, must operate strictly within the law and distance themselves from corrupt tendencies.
“Avoid involving yourselves in cases that are not under your jurisdiction, like defilement, high criminal cases, and rape those are not yours,” Wopuwa cautioned. “Learn your responsibilities as village chairpersons, learn to work under your committees, and avoid working individually. Always be in support of government programs and ensure peace in your areas.”
‎Echoing these concerns, Deputy RCC Hamza Banja noted that continuous training is essential to keep local leaders out of harm’s way when dealing with volatile situations.
Mbale Central Division DPC, ASP Nelime Bwiire Susan, pointed to proactive policing as a vital tool for community safety, revealing recent strides made by law enforcement.
“I urge you all LCs to adopt calling for frequent meetings in your areas to discuss the levels of security and learn to always report the criminals,” ASP Bwiire said. Highlighting a recent crackdown, she added, “Last week, I did an operation and arrested 33 criminals, out of which 25 were produced in court. All we want is to at least make sure criminality is reduced in Mbale City, so please, village chairpersons, let’s work together.”
The Mayor of Mbale City Industrial Division, Madoi Abdullah, urged the leaders to register residents and tenants in their areas so that security authorities can easily trace people whenever crimes occur.
