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Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Peter Ssenkungu, the National Resistance Movement-NRM party Chairperson for Masaka District has lost the bid to become Speaker.
Ssenkungu who is the Male Workers representative to the district council had expressed interest in becoming the Masaka district council Speaker.
However he was defeated by National Unity Platform’s Francis Kimuli Ssempala, who got 13 votes against Ssenkungu’s 4 votes.
Ssenkungu who also once served as Masaka District Land Board for seven years from 2011 to 2017, lost the election in a district council where the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party has the majority councillors, with eight against seven for the opposition NUP and two independents.
After being defeated he also declined to be offered the position of Deputy Speaker a position that was given to Esther Namulinda, the female councillor representing Persons with Disabilities who emerged unopposed.
Andrew Lukyamuzi Batemyeto, the newly sworn-in Masaka district Chairperson nominated his executive NUP’s Sarah Nalule to deputize him. He also appointed NRM’s Bruno Mugumya the male council for Persons with Disability and Lillian Babirye the district female representative were nominated as Secretaries for Finance, Planning and Education, and Social Services committees respectively.
Lukyamuzi pledged to forge unity among leaders from all political parties for the good of the district. He also said that despite being from the opposition National Unity Platform, he will relate with the central government.
Among the tasks awaiting Lukyamuzi and his leadership are; diminished local revenue collections following the closure of landing sites which were the main source of revenues, construction of the district headquarters, poor social services delivery in the education and health sectors, rampant environmental degradation especially destruction wetlands and the question of many land disputes in the district.
The new leadership is also taking over a district whose administrative area was recently reduced to four Sub counties after the other units were annexed unto Masaka city.
Ronald Evans Kanyike, the Bukoto East MP appealed to the district leadership to prioritize the improvement of health standards of rural communities in the district who he says is currently under served.
Janet Nakisekka, the outgoing Masaka District Vice-Chairperson while handing over to the new leadership noted that their administration has been challenged by heavy debts that remained after the district was split to create new local governments.
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