Africa-Press – Uganda. Drama ensued in the Soroti District council chambers on Monday after councillors engaged in a fist fight amid counter-accusations of connivance to mismanage funds.
The scuffle leading to the fist fight started early morning when a section of councillors stormed the district premises and locked the office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Aggrey Muramira, accusing him of failure to implement council resolutions, and absenteeism.
Mr Bob Owiny, the councillor for Tubur Sub-county, pointed out issues regarding the mismanagement of Shs1b, which was advanced to the district local government for the construction of the new administration offices.
In response, the secretary for finance, Mr Samuel Eyangu, also councillor for Katine Sub-county, out of anger wrestled Mr Owiny to the ground, accusing him of scheming to disrupt the new developments at the relocation site.
“You are saying if that money goes back, the secretary finance and the other executive members are to be blamed when you are running up and down to report us in the office of the IGG, if you want to kill me, start now,” Mr Eyangu dared Mr Owiny.
The two were separated by the district NRM mobiliser, Ms Teddy Acham, and police. During the emergency council meeting, business at the district came to a standstill for eight hours until 3pm.
The councillors then stormed the district offices and locked the CAO’s office, protesting against what they termed as increasing misuse of money and abuse of public office in the district.
“We cannot tolerate this nonsense where the CAO and members of the executive are running the district like their individual farms,” Mr David Agwanyi, a councillor for Asuret, said.
Mr Muramira, the CAO, at the time of the protest was out of office, and attempts to reach out to him were futile as his known telephone number went unanswered.
He is alleged to have been out of office for three weeks but we could not independently verify the claims.
“Can you imagine the CAO has absconded on duty for a month when we have casual labourers and pensioners among other categories demanding for their payments,” Mr Agwanyi said.
Mr Owiny accused the executive of conniving with the CAO to mismanage Shs1b which is advanced to the district towards the construction of the new district administration block in Katine Sub-county.
According to him, the executive in the month of March connived with the council speaker Mr Stephen Olebe and the CAO to conduct council business to pass a budget without quorum. However, Mr Simon Peter Edoru Ekuu, the district chairperson, said the issue of the relocation and building of the new district headquarters is a court matter and he cannot comment about it. He denied allegations of cash mismanagement.
“It is not our wish to see the money taken back at the end of the financial year, everyone knows that blockades have been put before the district executive that is working to ensure the district headquarters relocate to Katine,” he said.
Mr Edoru said the whole matter at hand is being anchored on the feeling that the executive is eating district money. “I challenge those with proof to come up and present it,” he said..
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
