Namayingo Councilors lock up RDC Hashaka in office

Former Kampala Resident City Commissioner, Mr Mpimbaza Hashaka chats with his successor, Ms Aisha Kabanda, in Kampala. File Photo

What you need to know:

In May this year, the District Council, invoking Section 73 of the Local Governments Act, which provides that a District Council may recommend to the appointment authority the removal of the RDC, overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion that called on the President to withdraw Mr Hashaka from the district

NAMAYINGO
There was high drama at Namayingo District headquarters on Tuesday as Councillors locked up the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Mpimbaza Hashaka, in his office in a move that was aimed at barring him from attending the launch of Phase III of the rural electrification programme.

The Councilors led by the District Youth Councillor, Mr Jocob Jonga, locked up Mr Hashaka in his offices in the morning hours shortly before the function which was presided over by the State Minister for Energy, Mr Simon D’ujanga began.

Mr Jonga told Daily Monitor that the move had been taken because the council does not recognize Mr Hashaka as the RDC.

In May this year, the District Council, invoking Section 73 of the Local Governments Act, which provides that a District Council may recommend to the appointment authority the removal of the RDC, overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion that called on the President to withdraw Mr Hashaka from the district.

The Councillors accused Mr Hashaka and the District Police Commander, Mr Johnson Kiconco, of failure to stem the wave of insecurity that has so far seen three people gunned down, a gun stolen from the Electoral Commission offices, and a break in at the Namayingo Buyinja Savings Credit Cooperative premises which were later set on fire. Councillors alleged that the two collaborate with criminals and this has escalated crime and insecurity in the district, which was not the case before.

The door of the office where Mr Hashaka had been locked was opened by some sympathetic civil servants after he had spent more than an hour in “captivity”. By then, his opportunity to speak at the function had passed.

A visibly angry Mr Hashaka later told the Daily Monitor that those who had locked him up are harassing him because he has been actively involved in the fight against illegal fishing which he accuses some of the district leaders of perpetuating.

“This is an act of harassment. They want me to stop the fight against illegal fishing in which some of them are involved but I will not back down,” he said.

Meanwhile during the launch of the programme, the Japan’s Ambassador to Uganda, Ms Junzo Fujita said that his country is contributing USS12 million towards extending electricity to rural parts of Eastern Uganda.

About 30,400 people in the districts of Mayuge, Iganga, Bugiri, Namayingo and Busia, are expected to benefit from this programme.
Minister Simon D’ujanga said that the programme had been delayed because of lack of funds.