FIRE IN MASINDI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL: COUNCILORS CLASH DURING COUNCIL MEETING

By Yosam Gucwaki

in masindi

Members of Masindi municipal council yesterday evening clashed during the
election of the chairperson for finance planning and investments
committee.
It all started when they failed to agree on the interpretation of the
law section 22 of the local governments act cap 2 (43) on whether the
executive members should vote or not.
It states that the chairperson of the committee and the members of the
committee shall be elected by simple majority through secret ballot
from the members of the council who are not members of the executive committee.
Solomon Asiimwe the secretary for health disagreed.
This was during a full council meeting that sat at the municipal
chambers on Thursday.
After the assistant town clerk,Patrick Asiimwe interpreting the law to
the house, that it is only the councilors who are allowed to vote,
some executive members disagreed with his interpretation and requested
the speaker to stay the election until they get a clear interpretation
from the ministry of local government.
After a strong heated disagreement between councilors and the some
member of the executive on the voting process, the deputy town clerk
ruled that according to the law the executive members were not allowed
to vote and the 20 councilors plus the deputy speaker went ahead and
voted.
This did not go well with Solomon Asiimwe who explained that he is
going to petition the Speaker Masindi municipalityAbigaba Fenehance on
the matter noting that the executive members were not given chance to
exercise their rights.

Haruna Ismail the councilor representing civic ward and Karungi the
councilor Silvia were nominated for the position and Karungi emerged
the winner after polling 14 votes against 6 votes which Haruna got.

Female councilors wanted the mayor to replace Fatuma with a female
councilor saying there must be two females  and three male on the
executive for gender balance purpose which the mayor challenged saying
that the law only says that at least  one female member must be on the
executive.

Two weeks ago the mayor Masindi municipality  reshuffled his cabinet
and dropped NyagomaFatumathe councilor for Bigando ward as secretary
finance planning and investment and replaced her with Amos Bandoho the
councilor representing Isimba ward on grounds of misconduct and
inciting people not to pay taxes.

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