Councillors lock town clerk in office
Police officer were negotiating with the councillors to set Mr Bahengana free. Photo by James Kabengwa
What you need to know:
Mr Bahengana is accused of causing financial loss to the municipality, abuse of office and misconduct, which accusations he vehemently denies.
He is accused of applying the divide and rule approach and failure to provide council with approved budgets and work plans.
Makindye Ssabagabo councillors have locked their town clerk in office demanding for his transfer.
Councillors accuse Mr John Bahengana of misconduct and abuse of office.
By the time of filing this story, police officers were negotiating with the councillors to set Mr Bahengana free.
This comes just days after Daily Monitor reported that the move by the councillors to cause the transfer of Mr Bahengana and Jimmy Mabanja of Masajja Division had paralysed work at the municipal council.
Mr Bahengana is separately accused of causing financial loss to the municipality, abuse of office and misconduct, which accusations he vehemently denies. He is accused of applying the divide and rule approach and failure to provide council with approved budgets and work plans.
Confusion started early this month when Masajja Division councillors passed a resolution to have Mr Mabanja transferred to another place with immediate effect.
“We demand for immediate action or transfer of the senior assistant town clerk (Mabanja) and give us someone else who will steer us in the right direction,” a petition dated December 12, signed by 10 councillors of Masajja Division copied to Mr Bahengana reads in part.
READ:
During a council meeting last month, the Makindye Ssabagabo speaker, Mr Ezekiel Kalungi, and the deputy mayor Ben Kiwanuka, had objected to the inclusion of a motion to suspend Mr Bahengana, but majority of the councillors insisted, citing rules of procedure.
The councillors later convened on December 21 and unanimously resolved to push for Mr Bahengana’s interdiction.
“We are not being hateful. All we want is to streamline services that Mr Bahengana has failed. Instead of attending to pressing issues, he is always away attending burials in his village,” Mr Bashir Wasswa, a councillor for Namasuba Ward said.
“The urgency to remove the incompetent town clerk does not require a mandatory time for notice to the speaker. No more time to look on as council services are stifled and revenue lost,” Mr Vincent Kawere, a councillor representing Mutundwe Ward said.
The speaker bowed to the arguments and consequently Ms Justine Walugembe, the woman councillor for Namasuba Ward, presented the motion but later chaos ensued in the council hall as the town clerk called in the police to restore calm.
The motion pointed out the alleged incompetence of Mr Bahengana including failure to implement lawful council directives and misbehaviour.
