Africa-Press – Uganda. Mbarara District local government leaders were in a bitter exchange of words on Sunday with the Members of Parliament (MPs) accusing them of failing to lobby for better service delivery in the district.
Local leaders and three MPs of Mbarara District gathered at Bagyenyi Gardens in Bwizibwera town council for a dialogue aimed at forging the best way forward for the development of the district.
“As Mbarara district, we have a challenge, every year and every quarter, our budget for road funds is reduced. For example in the last third quarter, we were supposed to get more than Shs140m but we received less by Shs20m and in the fourth quarter we were supposed to get Shs140m but received Shs70m,” Mr Venansi Kiiza Munanukye, the Speaker of Mbarara District Council said.
He said the MPs should be helping out the local government to ensure that their problems are tabled in Parliament for better service delivery. He said MPs are fond of blaming the local leaders for delaying to implement government programs, forgetting that they receive less money.
“We stopped road gangs in Mbarara District because our budgets were reduced. If we remain at the rate of the budget cuts for roads, our roads will continue to be in bad condition,” Mr Munanukye added.
Mr Munanukye’s statements irked MPs accusing him of being biased and inciting locals against them.
The Kashari North MP, Mr Basil Bataringaya, said Mr Munanukye should know the role of an MP before attacking them in public.
“Our role as MPs is to legislate, formulate a national budget and appropriate funds to every government department and local government, the third one is oversight and the fourth is representation of the people,” he said.
Mr Bataringaya said it was inappropriate for the district councilor to ridicule MPs and called for all district leaders to coordinate with their MPs for the development of the district.
The district Woman MP, Ms Margret Rwebyambu, said the local leaders should stop the blame game and play their role as well.
“In leadership, we are not in competition but whoever you elect has a role to play and when you elect me as an MP, I have my role. When we are in Parliament, we formulate a budget for the country, not Mbarara alone and portions depend on the funds available,” she said.
Kashari South MP, Mr Nathan Itungo, said: “What is letting us down is the district technocrats. They are failing this government. The government is not having money, due to Covid effects, but the little we get must be properly utilised.”
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