Councillors want town clerk sacked over corruption

A street in Mbale Town. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The councillors also accuse him of swindling Shs18m meant for the Discretionary Development Equalisation Grant (DDEG) and forging council minutes to give money to non-existent groups in connivance with the LC3 chairperson, Mr Suleiman Wandugwa.
  • They further allege the town clerk has been implementing activities without the consent of the council because they have never held any council meeting at the division since 2017.

A section of councillors in Wanale Division, Mbale Municipality, are demanding the transfer of the senior assistant town clerk, Mr Robert Wambedde, over allegations of swindling funds meant to facilitate council meetings and the inauguration of the village chairpersons.

The councillors led by the division speaker, Mr Ismail Gidudu, petitioned the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) on Friday, accusing Mr Wambedde of being corrupt and non-developmental.

The councillors also accuse him of swindling Shs18m meant for the Discretionary Development Equalisation Grant (DDEG) and forging council minutes to give money to non-existent groups in connivance with the LC3 chairperson, Mr Suleiman Wandugwa.
They further allege the town clerk has been implementing activities without the consent of the council because they have never held any council meeting at the division since 2017.

“The town clerk should be interdicted and summoned to explain why council meetings and inauguration of the village chairpersons has not taken place,” said Mr Gidudu Ismail, the division speaker.

Attending meetings
Ms Clare Nakato, the deputy speaker, added that since the previous financial year, they have tried to call the town clerk for council meetings in vain.

“The town clerk and the chairperson also foiled plans by council to hold a budget conference, which was meant to take place in November last year,” he said. However, Mr Wambedde said the allegations are baseless and only intended to damage his reputation.

“I am a honest man,” he said, adding the village chairpersons have not been inaugurated because they have not been gazzetted by the Electoral Commission but not dur to lack of funds as councillors claim.

The LC3 chairperson, Mr Wandugwa, also denied the allegations. Mr Paul Batanda, the municipal town clerk, said they have instituted a team to investigate the officials.