DEMONSTRATORS WRITE TO MUSEVENI OVER JAFARI BASAJABALABA’S REJECTION OF SERVICE COMMISSION

BY WILBER MUHWEZI AND FELIX NUWAGABA

IN BUSHENYI—

Bushenyi district residents conducted a peaceful demonstration today June 15, 2017, wrote to President Yoweri Museveni urging him to force Bushenyi district chairman Jafari Basajabalaba to sign appointment letters of three members of district service commission.

Lead demonstrator Kakonge Lee Appolo speaking to demonstrators today morning

The letter was handed over to Bushenyi district resident district commissioner Mr. Peter Mugisha by Apollo Kakonge a civil society activists amid loud cheers from the crowd.

Today morning demonstration was under the theme Make Bushenyi Great Again and was attended by over 500 people who gathered at the district headquarters under tight security from police and other security agencies

Crowds chanted “we want Bushenyi district Service Commission” and the locals gave Jafari Basaja a fourteen day ultimatum to put in place a district service commission or they start a process of censure.

Demonstrators carying placards at Bushenyi district headquarters

The Jafari group called for an NRM meeting to divert many people from attending the demonstration but it continued peacefully.

Speaker after speaker indicated dissatisfaction and how Bushenyi residents are suffering to the fact that the district lost 3.45bn shillings meant to pay 64 district teachers, 24 municipal teachers and extension workers at the newly created Kyamuhunga town council and Nyamiko health center 111 which is closed due to lack of staff.

The genesis of the problems of Bushenyi  district service commission, is close to two years now when before the expiry of the team of Willis Bashaasha as district chairman nominated and five names of the district service commission members and only three were approved  by public service commission.

When Jafari Basaja took over office he refused to sign appointment letters of the three who make a quorum o start work.

Demonstrators at the gate of Bushenyi district before they were allowed to access the venue.

He instead nominated his own commission members but were rejected by the public service commission. He also wrote recently to public service commission to all the district borrow from Mbarara but they instead wrote back and told him that Bushenyi has a service commission of three members who can make a quorum. They added that what he can do is to name the remaining two members.

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