Ntungamo council protests RDCs appointments

By our reporter

Ntungamo

The Ntungamo district council on Thursday protested the appointments of resident district commissioners saying the district was not dully considered.

A motion moved by the Nyarutuntu sub-county councilor Pius Niwagaba was passed to petition the president, First lady who is also the district NRM party chairperson, members of parliament over why the district is continuously being marginalized in appointments despite being huge and president claiming knowledge about it.

“We can’t say we have an NRM chairperson in the names of First lady, we have 6 MPs who never come to council and we are treated like this. The MPS and our NRM chairperson must be summoned to council to explain why we must be left out in these government appointments, it sad, the RDCs are now gone and we have no one.” Mr Niwagaba said during the council meeting on Thursday.

 Only one person from Ntungamo, Former First lady political assistant Mr George Bakunda was retained as RDC in the Wednesday appointments.

The Ntungamo RDC David Kaboyo was undeployed while the deputy RDC Isaiah Kanyamahane was promoted to full RDC and posted to Kamwengye. Kaboyo is from Port Portal city while Kanyamahane comes from Kabale district.

The Itojo sub county councilor Muhumuza Denis Savimbi said it was unfair even, laying off the current RDC Mr David Kaboyo who had spent only 8 months in the district.

“its even sad that they are taking away a person like our RDC Kaboyo who is old and experienced, can provide counsel and inspire us, is a parent and there are bringing Cadre Mucunguzi who is just for politics. Ntungamo needs not to be a simple learning ground.” Mr Muhumuza said.

The Secretary for finance and administration Mr Naboth Mpireirwe said the district with 34 lower local governments ought to have been considered in the appointments.

The Ngoma Sub county councilor Justus Bataringaya said belonging to Ntungamo was becoming a loss demanding that his county of Rushenyi be allowed to secede and be a district on its own. Several other councilors called for division of the district into 3 that at least it would be considered in such appointments.

A motion to divide Ntungamo district into Kajara, Rushenyi and Ntungamo districts was passed in 2014 however the president said it could not be divided but rather have the demands catered fro in a single basket. The demands included an extra road unit, increasing the number of students for university quota system, political appointments among others.

The council was convened to table the district budget. A Ushs 59.309 Billion shillings was presented before council with local revenue expected to contribute 2.7% while the rest shall be funded by the centre.