Africa-Press – Uganda. Western Ankole Civil Society (WACSOF), a civil society group operating in Ankole sub region with headquarters in Bushenyi town has suspended its anti-corruption related activities citing insecurity and hostilities allegedly mounted by the Bushenyi Resident District Commissioner(RDC), Ms Jane Asiimwe Muhindo.
The WACSOF Executive Director, Mr Apollo Lee Kakonge told Daily Monitor on Monday that the organization decided to halt all anti-corruption activities because the environment in which they are operating is “not conducive.”
‘‘We have suspended our anticorruption activities because the environment is unsafe and due to hostilities from someone that is supposed to be protecting us when we are doing this work. Instead, the RDC is hunting us down,’’ he said.
‘‘The RDC is not appreciating the complementary role of civil society groups in supporting government to fight against corruption,’’ Mr Kakonge added.
The suspension comes at the heels of WACSOF’s report into alleged mismanagement of The Agriculture Cluster Development (ACDP), a partnership project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and the World Bank, whose implementation was marred by corruption, mismanagement and conflict of interest, according to the NGO.
Mr Kakonge claims that his life and operations have since the end of last week been threatened following the report by his organization- which exposed connivance between local government officials, politicians and central government managers, and contractors in implementing ACDP projects in Bushenyi District.
‘‘We are not going back into civic action because the environment is constrained and putting our lives in harm’s way,’’ Mr Kakonge Daily Monitor.
The RDC has reportedly written to Mr Kakonge and his Citizens Report Card structure summoning them to her office on July 5, a request Mr Kakonge snubbed saying the contents of the letter were wanting in structuring and intention.
Citizens Report Card is a Whatsapp group powered by WACSOF as a public social accountability space.
The RDC, Ms Asiimwe has previously accused Mr Kakonge of harassing public servants in the district.
Asked to comment on the matter, Ms Asiimwe said: ‘‘I wrote to them to come for an engagement meeting so that we can tackle the issues raised, then we collectively agree on how we move in, we invited these people.’’
Bushenyi District Chairperson, Mr Jaffari Basajjabalaba said ‘‘it is unfortunate for the civil society to suspend its anticorruption activities at a time when they have been playing a pivotal role in supporting government to fight corruption.’’
