Jinja: The Jinja District Council on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, presided over by its speaker, Ms. Monica Namukose Kamagu, held a special sitting to replace Mr. Samuel Akalyaamawa, who recently resigned from the office of Secretary for Finance.
Mr. Akalyaamawa, a councillor representing Buyengo Town Council, signed his resignation letter on December 24, 2024, alleging that the district chairperson, Mr. Moses Batwala, only wanted to be surrounded by ‘yes-men’ who would rubber-stamp his wrong decisions.
Belonging to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), the youthful councillor criticized the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leader, Mr. Batwala, for disregarding any advice and for actions that could disrespect the district’s top office, cause financial impropriety, and breed quarrels between the council and technocrats.
“Honourable Speaker, the position of finance secretary is currently vacant after Mr. Samuel Akalyaamawa resigned. Citing the urgency of this position at this crucial time when the district is in the planning and budgeting process, I take up my mandate and powers invested in me by law and nominate Viola Nanangwe to fill the vacant position on the district executive committee,” Mr. Batwala stated during the special council sitting on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Batwala invoked the Local Government Act 1997, Cap. 243, Section 18(3), which states that “The secretaries shall be nominated by the chairperson from among the members of the council and shall be approved by the majority of all the members of the council.”
The council, therefore, approved the nomination of Ms. Viola Nanangwe, who was sworn in and solemnly affirmed that she would bear true allegiance in fulfilling her responsibilities. Mr. Batwala commended the resigned Akalyaamawa for the good work he rendered to Jinja District while serving as the Secretary for Finance.
The councillor, who is a lawyer by profession, did not appear at the special council sitting. While some councillors questioned his absence, the Speaker, Ms. Namukose, said he would be invited to the next sitting.
“Those people around you will keep clapping and applauding you even when it is unnecessary because they know that this is the easiest way for them to keep their jobs on the executive,” Mr. Akalyaamawa said while resigning.
He emphasized, “The disadvantage for you (Mr. Batwala) is that while they are keeping their jobs, the irrational decisions, impugned actions, and utterances that they encourage you to venture into will ultimately cost you that office—if you understand that the voters are your bosses.”
The councillor criticized the district chairperson for his allegedly unfair and imbalanced appointments to various district commissions. He cited the LC5, Land Board chief, Works and Social Services, Roads Committee, and Service Commission chairpersons, all of whom come from the same Butaya subcounty, which also birthed Namagera Town Council.
According to Mr. Akalyaamawa, this has left other subcounties with little or no influence or with appointments that lack impact. Jinja District is made up of seven subcounties, and Mr. Akalyaamawa urged the chairman to consider this diversity while making decisions.
“I asked you to consider giving Buyengo a slot on the District Service Commission, and you acted like you had agreed. To my surprise, when the time for appointments came, you insisted that my nominee should be a woman, well knowing that Buyengo’s candidate was a man,” he said.
“Even when I found an alternative candidate in Muguluka, you told me to ask this poor woman, who is my former headteacher, for a whopping six million shillings in order for you to consider her. Where would you expect this retired primary school teacher to get all that money?” Mr. Akalyaamawa questioned the chairman.
He wondered why the chairman would prefer people to pay for appointments, yet one of his campaign promises was to eliminate corruption tendencies in the District Service Commission.
Meanwhile, some councillors who welcomed and approved the nomination of Ms. Nanangwe as the new finance secretary tasked Mr. Akalyaamawa with presenting financial reports on the construction of the district headquarters and the 1 billion shillings allocated to the district annually for road maintenance.
Ms. Annet Kubonaku Bazibu, a female councillor representing Butagaya Subcounty, expressed frustration, saying, “We have been asking him about the reports on the construction of the district headquarters in Kagoma, but he has since dodged. It is now, as he resigns, that he should show us the accountability, otherwise the IGG (Inspector General of Government) will take action.”
In his response, however, Mr. Batwala said such demands should not be directed at the finance secretary, noting that the district chairperson has the obligation to present annual financial reports and other related documents.
The district is still grappling with an unfinished administration block located in Magaga Village, Buwenge Rural Subcounty. The 4.3 billion shillings project, once completed, will house the district offices, which are currently operating from the initial structure at Busoga Square in Jinja City.
After the special council sitting, Mr. Batwala told the media that construction at the facility is progressing rapidly, and the district is still working to secure the necessary funds to complete it.
“We faced a challenge in that we didn’t find any money in the district accounts when we assumed office. This has significantly affected us, but we are still persuading the government to allocate funds for completing the headquarters,” he said, highlighting that the building is now at the roofing level.
Located 20 km along the Jinja-Kamuli highway from Jinja Town, the district headquarters will save locals from having to travel long distances to Jinja City to access the district offices at Busoga Square.
