Court dismisses Notu boss' application to block his ouster

Mr Usher Wilson Owere, the chairman of Notu

What you need to know:

  • On Tuesday, a total of 24 out of 34 worker-unions under Notu passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Owere as the body’s chairman general.

Court has dismissed an application in which embattled National Organizations of Trade Unions (Notu) chairman general Usher Wilson Owere was seeking to block his ouster.

The application had been fixed for hearing before the deputy registrar of the High Court Civil Division.

But the applicants, Notu and Mr Owere, together with the respondent Notu secretary general Christopher Peter Werikhe did not show up in court.

“It is hereby ordered that the application is dismissed since both applicants and their counsel have not appeared in court to prosecute their application. No order of costs is made since counsel for the respondent has not filed an affidavit in reply,” court ruled on Thursday.

On Tuesday, a total of 24 out of 34 worker-unions under Notu passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Owere as the body’s chairman general.

During a general council Wednesday meeting at a tightly guarded hotel in Kampala, the unions accused Mr Owere of incompetence, dictatorship and intrigue.

Mr Owere’s vice chairperson, Mr Stephen Mugole, was voted as the acting chairperson general.

Mr Richard Bigirwa was voted as the acting secretary general to replace Mr Peter Werikhe, who stepped down at will.

Others new leaders are Mr Moses Mauku, who was elected acting treasurer general, and Ms Barbra Bandaru as the acting deputy treasurer general.

Mr Owere has since been denied access to the institution’s offices in Kyaliwajala, a Kampala suburb.