Africa-Press – Uganda. A section of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party supporters in Luweero District have tasked the top party leadership to consider an immediate overhaul of the district party leadership following reports of embezzling funds .
Several leaders have been subjected to police investigation over Shs29m that was meant to facilitate the polling agents during the February 3 local council election.
“It is a big shame to tell the public that the NRM party officials in our district are in hiding and others in jail over embezzlement of funds. It is also clear that the NRM office in Luweero is almost left without leadership yet we are the country’s ruling party with capacity to bring about sanity within our offices.
“The signal sent out by our party leaders in Luweero paints a negative image and calls for immediate attention. We advise the NRM party top leadership to quickly resolve the Luweero problem. The implicated officials should be made to refund the money,” Ms Aisha Kayaga, the district councillor representing Butuntumula Sub-county, told Daily Monitor in an interview on Wednesday.
Ms Hadijah Nakazi Luliika, the district female councillor representing Makulubita Sub-county, on Tuesday castigated the NRM Secretariat for being silent and allowing individuals within the party to dent the party name.
“We are now surprised that our district party office is currently left without leadership because many of the officials are subject to investigation and are reportedly in hiding.
“The election process was compromised because the officials in Luweero selfishly misused the money. We were helpless after failing to get support and this partly explains why we failed to perform well as NRM candidates. Most of us lost the election at the hands of officials who failed to rally the public to vote the NRM party members yet they had the resources for mobilisation,” Ms Luliika said .
On February 11, police in Luweero stormed a district NRM meeting convened by the party national vice chairperson for Central Uganda, Mr Godfrey Kiwanda, and arrested Ms Zenar Nasur, the acting Luweero District NRM party chairperson, who had reportedly evaded arrest after failing to turn up record a statement on allegations of embezzlement.
Efforts for a comment from Mr Kiwanda, who doubles as the State Minister for Tourism, about the arrest were futile.
Ms Nasur was by Thursday morning still at Luweero Central Police Station waiting for the final processing of her case file before appearing in Court .
On February 12, Hajjat Medina Naham, the director for Administration and Finance in the NRM Secretariat, appeared at Luweero District CID office, where she recorded a statement.
Hajjat Naham later addressed a section of the district councillors who had gathered at the police station and said the Secretariat does not condone any form of corruption and she would avail the police all information regarding the missing funds.
“We have allowed the law to take its course because the officials failed to account for the money. You should stay calm as this matter is resolved,” she said.
In a recent interview, former Minister for Works and Katikamu County MP Abraham Byandala, who is also the NRM district party treasurer, told journalists that a section of the district party officials led by Mr Tamale Wasswa, who is the acting administrative secretary, approached him on February 3 and requested to have Shs30m withdrawn from the district account to facilitate NRM candidates.
“I signed the cheque, but did not know that these officials had selfish interests and had a plan to misuse this money.
“I do not want my name to be associated with such selfish officials. They withdrew the money and should explain how they used it. They had instruction from the Secretariat to have the money disbursed to each candidate, but failed to deliver the money. I did not know that I was serving with dishonest individuals,” Mr Byandala said.
The party says
Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the NRM party director for Information, on Wednesday confirmed that the Secretariat is in receipt of the complaint regarding the misuse of the funds.
“It is true that there is a complaint regarding funds alleged to have been misappropriated in Luweero District. The fact that the party is cooperating with the investigation team is a clear sign that we do not tolerate corruption. The outcome of the investigation process will guide the party on the next course of action. Our party members should remain calm and allow the law to take its course,” he said.
