By Kenneth Wamatoyi
JINJA
Jinja District Councillors have moved to censure Speaker Namukose Monica, accusing her of gross incompetence.
This is contained in a letter dated March 4, 2025, addressed to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and District Chairperson Batwala Moses Mbago. They claim the Speaker has failed to make proper schedules for council sittings, as required by Rule 12(4) of the Standard Rules of Procedure.
The councilors pointed out that in the financial year (FY) 2024/25, out of the twelve joint sittings planned for the council (comprising 6 committee sittings and 6 council meetings), only 2 meetings have been held, even though only four months remain in the year.
They further highlighted that Section 9(1) of the Local Government Act, Cap 243, stipulates that a local government council must meet at least once every two months to discharge its functions. Additionally, Rule 12(2a) of the Standard Rules of Procedure states that the council shall sit to consider business once every two months, as determined by the Speaker.
However, Jinja District Local Government has not held any council or committee meetings since December 23, 2024. The Speaker, the councilors argue, has consistently referred matters to the CAO for guidance on issues that are clearly outlined in both the Local Government Act and the Standard Rules of Procedure, demonstrating her inability to effectively utilize these statutory tools and reflecting poorly on her competence.
The councilors also accused the Speaker of partiality, noting that she has shown a bias towards the District Executive Committee (DEC) and suppressed the voices of other council members. They cited the March 2024 meeting during the election of committee chairpersons, where both the Speaker and her Deputy cast votes in favour of DEC interests, an action they argue violated the law and amounted to abuse of office.
Moreover, the Speaker, in her role as chairperson of the Business Committee, has allegedly allowed the DEC to alter the agenda of council meetings, in violation of Rule 18(3). This has undermined the council’s ability to review previous resolutions, depriving council members of the opportunity to examine the progress of past decisions.
Nakirya Prossy, the female youth councilor, and Kubonkau Annet, the councilor for Butagaya Town Council, also raised concerns about the Speaker’s failure to provide proper notice of meetings, as required by Rule 14(1a) and (2) of the Standard Rules of Procedure.
According to the councilors, notices should be issued at least seven working days before a meeting, along with the order of business, minutes of previous meetings, and any reports to be discussed. However, the Speaker has allegedly been inviting the council to meetings without attaching the necessary minutes or reports, which has hindered effective service delivery and decision-making.
The councilors added that this failure to provide the necessary documents for council meetings has allowed the DEC and technical teams to manipulate district works and plans, potentially leading to shoddy work and misappropriation of government funds.
Finally, Kibombo Simon, a councilor from Buwenge Sub County, lamented that the Speaker has continuously blocked reports from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which are supposed to be presented to the council for review and action.
By the time of filing up this story, the accused Speaker had refused to pick up calls as she turned them user busy all the time.
