Councillors seek transfer of town clerk over ‘disrespect’

The councillors say Mr Johnson Balyantuma disregarded the town’s development plans.

Masaka

Masaka Municipal Council is seeking the removal and transfer of the Town Clerk.

The resolution, which was unanimously reached during a council meeting last Friday, accuses Mr Johnson Balyantuma of failure to comply with council resolutions and working in total disregard of the town’s development plans. According to Mr Suleiman Ssenyonga, the councillor for Nyendo Division, Mr Balyantuma disregarded the council resolution to stop Masaka Taxi Drivers and Owners Cooperative Society from collecting revenue from taxi parks.

The town clerk is also said to be behind the disagreements between the mayor, Mr Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo and some councilors, which resulted in the council working without an executive committee for two years.

Mr Balyantuma, who appeared calm and unmoved by the resolution, said he was a victim of witch-hunt by politicians. He said he had always performed his duties according to the law and that the law was on his side.

Section 68 of the Local Government Act grants the Urban Councils power to recommend the removal of a chief administrative officer or town clerk as the case may be by a resolution passed by two thirds of the council upon abnormalities that would render the said person incapable of performing their duties.

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