Lukaya council suspends NGO’s work
Mr Sande Bukenya (C) talks to football players in Kalungu recently. PHOTO BY MARTINS E. SSEKWEYAMA
What you need to know:
Reason. Authorities say the organisation’s activities are suspicious.
KALUNGU. Lukaya Town Council authorities in Kalungu District have suspended the operations of a local community-based organisation, Sande Bukenya Foundation, whose activities the leaders say are suspicious.
Last year, Mr Sande Bukenya, a Kampala-based businessman, formed a community-support volunteer association through which he has conducted a series of activities, including organising sports tournaments across the district.
He has also been mobilising youth and women to form groups, promising to secure for them financial support, among other projects, including setting up music recording studios for upcoming artistes.
Although Mr Bukenya says his objective is to develop talent among rural youth in the district, Lukaya Town Council leaders claim he is simply duping jobless youth.
According to Mr Gerard Ssenyondo, the Lukaya Town Council chairperson, they have decided to suspend Mr Bukenya’s activities, as they examine his character, saying that some of his activities are illegal.
Mr Ssenyondo said Mr Bukenya told them he was interested in developing talent, but to their surprise, he has allegedly crossed into politics.
“Let him now make clear his planned activities in the area on top of submitting his project proposal for approval, he said. Mr Ssenyondo added that they want Mr Bukenya to register his organisation and secure a certificate before he can resume operations in the area.
Mr Bukenya’s woes started last week when he organised a general cleaning exercise in Lukaya Town after which he planned to declare a lineup of candidates for various political offices to the electorate.
However, the suspension of Mr Bukenya’s projects has drawn criticism from some residents while others are happy with the authorities’ decision.
Ms Resty Nabawanuka, a resident, said the suspension of Mr Bukenya’s activities was long overdue.
“We won the Bukenya netball tournament last year upon paying a registration fee of Shs240,000. To our surprise, the organiser gave us a winners’ prize of Shs3 million cheque which later bounced. We have heard that the same happened to many other teams,” she noted.
Bukenya’s response
However, Mr Bukenya denies any ill intentions saying: “The authorities are afraid that my presence in the community could compel the people to demand for accountability from their leaders. What our people want are the services, which the current local politicians have failed to deliver.”
