Mpigi councillors move to impeach district chairperson
Mr Mutuluza (left) and Mr Moses Kanyarutokye, the Mpigi District chief administrative officer during a council meeting on Thursday February 20, 2020. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO
What you need to know:
Mr Moses Kanyarutokye, the Mpigi District chief administrative officer said: "Even if the said names are cleared, it is not automatic that they will be approved by Public Service Commission since they must be interviewed."
Mr Mutuluza, who is a former MP for Mawokota North Constituency, became the Mpigi District Chairperson in 2016 after defeating Mr John Mary Luwakanya.
Mpigi District councillors have tabled a motion to impeach the district chairperson, Mr Peter Claver Mutuluza, over alleged incompetence, disrespecting the council resolutions and failure to monitor government programmes.
The motion to censure Mr Mutuluza was moved by Mr Patrick Katende, the councillor representing the workers and seconded by Mr Fred Ssekkaayi who represents the youth.
Mr Katende told the council presided over by Mr Rogers Ssejjemba on Thursday that in November last year, the district council resolved to reappoint Mr Fredrick Kirumira, the chairperson of the district service commission, to serve his last term, but Mr Mutuluza proposed another person Hajji Jumah Bbosa – something that created a disagreement between the district chairperson and the councillors.
“The council is the supreme body at the district so what it has resolved shouldn’t be challenged by an individual. We requested our Chief Administrative Officer to seek legal opinion from the Solicitor General and the latter replied supporting the council's decision, but it didn’t change anything," he said.
According to the Kituntu Sub-County councillor, Mr Godfrey Naalima, the move is intended to punish Mr Mutuluza.
"The immediate cause comes out of the row over who should head the district service commission. Ever since the tenure of our service commission elapsed last year, there has been push and pull between the district executive committee (DEC) and the district council over names of persons who should be appointed on the committee and who should be the commission's chairman," he said.
The debate to censure Mr Mutuluza comes at a time when the district is in the process of recruiting about 30 new staff and councillors to full vacant positions in the health and education sectors.
Mr Rogers Ssejjemba, the Mpigi District Speaker, guided the councillors to start the process of censuring the chairman by filing a petition to him so that he puts the motion on the order paper during the next sitting.
"Two-thirds of the councillors' signatures are needed as required by the law, but I will also give the chairperson a fair hearing after which the winner will take the day," Mr Ssejjemba said.
Mr Joseph Ssempijja, councillor representing Buwama Sub-County said the move to censure Mr Mutuluza is political and is "fuelled by some technical persons and the district speaker".
However, Mr Mutuluza told this reporter in an interview that councillors have hidden motives in pushing for his censure.
"They do this to me, but I know what's behind this whole thing. They want me to bribe them since they receive little pay. Secondly, they wanted me to extort money from contractors and other service providers, which opinion I declined because this is a sign of corruption. How shall we manage to supervise these service providers when we first get money from them?" He asked.
Mr Moses Kanyarutokye, the Mpigi District chief administrative officer said: "Even if the said names are cleared, it is not automatic that they will be approved by Public Service Commission since they must be interviewed."
Mr Mutuluza, who is a former MP for Mawokota North Constituency, became the Mpigi District Chairperson in 2016 after defeating Mr John Mary Luwakanya.
