Kanungu councillors shun RDC
Health state minister Chris Baryomunsi (L) and the outgoing Kanungu RDC Martin Mugabi (C) hand over office to the new RDC Harriet Nakamya on Tuesday. Photo by Edson Kinene
Kanungu- Majority of councillors in Kanungu District on Tuesday shunned a function organised to receive Ms Harriet Nakamya, the new Resident District Commissioner (RDC).
The outgoing RDC, Mr Martin Mugabi, was handing over office to Ms Nakamya, formerly of Rukungiri District.
Mr Frank Byaruhanga, the LC5 councillor for Mpungu Sub-county, had earlier told Daily Monitor that the district leadership was reluctant to embrace Ms Nakamya because she opposed the establishment of tea growing in Rukungiri and would most likely do the same in Kanungu.
Out of the 21 councillors, only Christopher Kamara and Emmy Magezi attended the function.
Ms Nakamya sided with residents of Nyarushanje and Nyakishenyi in Rukungiri when they opposed planting of tea in Rurindo wetland last year.
However, Ms Nakamya said she was not opposed to tea growing, but wanted to protect residents who would be affected by wetland degradation.
“People say RDCs are not supposed to be partisan, but we belong to NRM, which is in government, we mobilise for and monitor government programmes,” she said.
Ms Nakamya was appointed the deputy RDC for Rukungiri in August 2012 and promoted to RDC a year later.
