MBARARA – Mbarara district chairman Capt John Bosco Bamuturaki and Mbarara Municipality Member of Parliament Michael Tusiime on Monday, May 27 engaged Mayor Robert Kakyebezi and his councillors in a secret meeting in a bid to find a lasting solution for the stalled impasse at Municipal council.
Held at Mbarara sports club in Booma, Mbarara Municipality, the meeting was attended by councillors, Mayor Robert Kakyebezi, his executive secretaries under the chairmanship of Capt. JB Bamuturaki and Hon. Michael Tusiime.
It was closed to non-members with the media barred from accessing it.
Political bickering and conflicts at Municipal council took another twist with councillors accusing their mayor Kakyebezi of incompetence to manage the affairs of Mbarara Municipality.
In one of the sessions, the agitated councillors moved a motion to censure Kakyebezi over continued working in isolation of the council and failure to implement a number of resolutions.
A petition – signed by over 35 councillors – was filed with the office of chairman LCV seeking his intervention in the matters of Mbarara municipal council with the councillors retaliating by boycotting the May 22 council meeting that was designated to discuss the budget for financial year 2019/2020.
Councillors further accused Mayor Robert Kakyebezi and his Executive of failure to provide the budget performance report for the previous financial years citing they could not keep passing budgets for formality.
After the meeting, Hon. Tusiime highlighted that among the contentious issues tackled were illegal structures in town which have been erected at the watchful eyes of Robert Kakyebezi and his executive and failure to implement resolutions passed by council.
“We agreed that these issues can be put aside and continue with the process of passing the budget because this budget is neither for Kakyebezi nor Bamuturaki but for the people of Mbarara, so we agreed with councillors that their matters raised can be looked into after passing the budget,” said Tusiime.
Capt. Bamuturaki acknowledged he was petitioned by a section of councillors and that he had to call them in a meeting to find a lasting solution.“We realized that their issues can be resolved as the process of passing the budget is ongoing am thankful that those I summoned managed to turn up,” Bamuturaki briefly commented.
However, Municipal speaker, Bonny Tashobya took it to the media acknowledging that the council has unearthed a number of mushrooming illegal structures put without approval by council.He identified the buildings as like one adjacent to Mbarara Municipal public library owned by businessman Fenehansi Barigye, proprietor of Shell Ankore, one located on Mbarara high court and one at Constantine Lobo road opposite Baguma restaurant.
“As we are heading for city status, we do not want such containers in town and that was one of the issues councillors won’t be addressed,” said Mr. Tashobya.
He added:
As the speaker, I acknowledge that the councillors’ concerns raised were substantial. However, I will maintain a neutral position and guide council; so we hope for the best after this crisis meeting.”
The Municipal mouthpiece revealed that council meeting will be held come May 29 to pass the budget.
However Tashobya categorically stated that this will be the last time to adjourn council if councillors refuse to pass the budget, the law allows him to write to the minister of local government to come and pass the budget himself.End
