Africa-Press – Uganda. Fifty-six National Unity Platform (NUP) councillors in Wakiso District, who defied their party position to attend a leadership training convened by President Museveni, have refused to leave Garuga Resort Beach until the head of state gives them audience.
The training, held under the auspices of the Office of the President, started a fortnight ago and was scheduled to end on February 13.
However, President Museveni was a no-show at the closure of the training, much to the chagrin of the NUP councillors.
“The reason why we’re still here is that the training is still going on and even the President is interested in meeting us as Wakiso District councillors,” Mr Isaac Muyiira Muwonge, the Wakiso District Council deputy speaker, said.
He added that Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja delivered “a wonderful lecture on patriotism and how we can work with the government to fight corruption” on February 13.
Ms Milly Babirye Babalanda, the minister of the Presidency, reportedly promised to arrange a meeting with the councillors and President Museveni.
Mr Muwonge said their insistence to meet the President is not financially motivated.
“We’re not waiting for the money as people are alleging, but we have things to share with the President, which our people need like elevating Wakiso to a city status,” Muwonge said.
He added that they had only received Shs300,000 as upkeep during their time at Garuga Resort Beach.
Since the training has stretched into a third week, the councillors are expecting to get more upkeep, but Mr Muwonge insists “we’re here to earn knowledge.”
Wakiso Resident District Commissioner Justin Mbabazi confirmed that the training was ongoing and that she had “written to the district speaker, Mr Nasif Najja through the clerk to council, asking him to extend council committee meetings.”
Mr Najja said he had invited all district councillors for the council committee meetings, which were slated to run from February 20 to February 27 to discuss consideration of third quarter progress reports for the current financial year.
The councillors were also supposed to discuss approval of the work plan and monitoring reports for the current financial year.
“I have been contacted by the RDC and I have agreed to postpone our meetings by one week,” Mr Najja said, adding that they have failed to raise a quorum.
Wakiso District has 102 councillors, 85 of whom belong to NUP, 12 are members of th National Resistance Movement party while five are from Democratic Party.
Fifty-six of NUP’s 85 councillors consented to attending the training in Entebbe, which—sources say—was tailored to drum up NRM doctrines and strategies.
Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, the Wakiso District chairperson, blamed the Office of the President for “affect[ing] the work of the district.
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