The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Florence Namayanja, the Masaka City Council Mayor, is on the spot for boycotting Roads Committee meetings and frustrating effective implementations of public infrastructure development projects in the area.
On Thursday, the City Roads Committee, which comprises area members of Parliament, division leaders, technical officers, and their Accounting Officers convened to consider work plans and budget allocation for this financial year, but members expressed concern about the absence of the Mayor who gave no explanations.
Doctor Abed Bwanika, the MP for the Kimanya-Kabonera division also Committee Chairperson, says it has become a deliberate habit for the Mayor to dodge meetings, yet as the City Political Head, she is required to provide progress and inspection reports on the various projects under implementation in the area.
Bwanika observed that besides failing to caucus with committee members to harmonize positions on priority projects, the City Mayor, for selfish interests also interferes with designs and speculates about some of the works in the area.
He expressed concern that despite sending her formal invitation to the meeting, Namayanja deliberately failed to show up, and neither did she delegate, arguing that her conduct is intended to frustrate the committee’s effort to build teamwork, which is required for better planning.
The committee also accuses Namayanja of influencing the Kimanya-Kabonera Division Chairperson Steven Lukyamuzi, some members of the city works committee, and technocrats to boycott meetings.
Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, the MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe equally expressed concern that the absence of the Mayor denies the committee the opportunity to get answers to several questions about the implementation of public projects.
According to Mpuuga, the uncooperative stance of the Mayor is costing the City funding opportunities that would attract strategic infrastructural development, citing the additional 3.8 billion Shillings that the city recently missed after the Mayor declined to provide a progress report on the reconstruction of Masaka Recreational Grounds.
Mpuuga implored the committee, to jointly generate a protest letter about the Mayor’s conduct, as a way of calling her to order, to allow for the smooth running of the city affairs.
Michael Mulindwa Nakumusana, the Nyendo-Mukungwe Division Chairperson also told the meeting that the conduct of the City’s top political leadership slows down and undermines operations of the lower urban councils, as well as creating unnecessary rifts.
Simon Ejau, the Masaka City Deputy City Deputy Town Clerk says, he has taken note of the concerns and pledged to engage the City Executive Committee about the need to build and maintain teamwork among all stakeholders.
However, Namayanja dismisses allegations of deliberately boycotting the Roads Committee meeting, arguing that they coincide with more important engagements she cannot afford to miss.
Notably, the controversies among leaders in Masaka City started shortly after the commencement of this term of office after it emerged that the urban council was losing its valuable assets in unscrupulous transactions, allegedly sanctioned by the local leadership.
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