COUNCILOR THREATENS TO SUE KABALE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OVER RESOLUTION TO DEBATE IN VERNACULAR

By Ambrose Kweronda

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale—

The LC III Youth Councilor Northern Division in Kabale Municipality Ronald Nsengi Kikabi has threatened to drag the council to court for resolving to conduct meetings in Rukiga.

The resolution was yesterday passed in the meeting after one of the members argued that a section of Councilors found it hard to forward issues affecting the people they represent because they were afraid to be laughed at for speaking broken English.

Rule number 6(1), as stated in the rules of procedure says that council meetings shall be conducted in English.

The same rule provides for members who cannot express themselves in English to ask for permission to use a local language and an interpreter through the clerk to the council.

It is on this note that the Northern Division Council decided to make the Rukiga language their official medium of communication after it was agreed that all members could speak and understand Rukiga while some of them could not express themselves in the English language.

However, Mr. Nsengi who is also former Deputy Speaker of the same Council said there was no need of passing a resolution to change the language since those unable to express themselves in English were already catered for in the Rules of Procedure.

Nsengi who joined Council on the NRM ticket said he was not opposed to conducting council in Rukiga, but putting it on the order paper, and later passing it as a minute of the council, was done in total disregard of the law which clearly states that Council proceedings shall be conducted in English.

Mr. Nsengi who is also a graduate in law said he was going to initiate mediation through elders and the clerk to the council so that they could pull out the minute from the Council records, but if they refuse to listen, he would seek legal redress in courts of law.

However, Mucunguzi Isaac Rushoga, the LC.3 Chairperson said the resolution to conduct council in Rukiga language was long overdue because there are councilors who could not speak English at all, yet they usually have constructive ideas to put across.

Mucunguzi accused Nsengi of holding personal grudges against a section of uneducated councilors who refused to vote for him in the election for speakership of the council where he was defeated in May this year.

Rukanga Elisha the Male Councilor representing elders said he was also in support of conducting council in Rukiga because it is one way of promoting the local language.

However, Kemigisha Sharlotte, a former youth leader in Northern Division said it was unfortunate that Division Councilors could fear expressing themselves in English.

Kemigisha said she also suspected that switching from English to Rukiga was a tactic to hide information from None Bakiga technical staff, who could be employed at the Division at a later time.

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