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Masaka city councilors move to impeach speaker
Masaka city council Speaker Tony Ssempijja. PHOTO/ MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- Mr Rogers Buregye, one of the councilors who signed the petition said the speaker and clerk to the council have refused to sign council minutes, which has affected councilors' allowances and emoluments.
- The Speaker, Mr Tony Ssempijja, however, dismissed the councilors’ claims, arguing that they were aimed at tarnishing his name
Councilors in Masaka City are pushing for the impeachment of their speaker, Mr Tony Ssempijja, accusing him of abuse of office, incompetence, and continued misconduct.
In their petition to the local Government Minister, Mr Raphael Magyezi, the councilors claim that Mr Ssempijja has on several occasions violated the law while inviting members for council business on short notice with an improper mode of service hence flouting rules of procedure.
“He committed an illegality when he convened an illegal council yet he was warned against it but didn’t take it hence holding him liable as guided by R.14(4) with pecuniary responsibilities as provided for in Rules of procedure,” the letter dated 28 October reads in part.
The embattled speaker has served in the position for barely three years.
A total of 10 out of the 15 councilors who signed the petition also accuse the speaker of smuggling an item into council business which led to the election and merging sectorial committee before end of tenure, thus allegedly violating rule 19, rule 18(6) and rule 27(5) of procedure.
“Rule 99 (2) guides that the executive members are not allowed to vote for standing committees as it was stated in the minutes,” the petition adds.
Mr Rogers Buregye, one of the councilors who signed the petition said the speaker and clerk to the council have refused to sign council minutes, which has affected councilors' allowances and emoluments.
“Councilors’ allowances for the financial year 2022-2023 have on several occasions been deducted with no good reason and when we tried to find out why, we learned that several minutes were not signed by the speaker and up to now we have never received that payment,” he said on Thursday.
Mr Ssempijja, however, dismissed the councilors’ claims, arguing that they were aimed at tarnishing his name.
He said he was ready to respond to councilors’ complaints before Mr Magyezi visits Masaka to address the standoff.
This publication understands Mr Magyezi has directed Masaka City mayor, Ms Florence Namayanja to convene a council meeting today (November 16) to resolve the impasse.
“By a copy of this letter you are required to invite the petitioner, the speaker, and all councilors to the said meeting. The meeting shall be chaired by the minister for local government or a person delegated in writing,” Mr Magyezi said in a letter dated October 31. But in another letter dated November 10, Mr Ben Kumumanya, the permanent secretary in Ministry of Local Government said the meeting between the minister and Masaka City leaders had been rescheduled to November 29.
