INDUCTION OF MUNICIPAL COUNCILORS COUNCILORS; URGED TO PLAY VALUE ADDITIONAL POLITICS
INDUCTION OF MUNICIPAL COUNCILORS
COUNCILORS URGED TO PLAY VALUE ADDITIONAL POLITICS
Kira Municipal Council Councilors have been urged to avoid misuse of power through playing populist politics tarnishing the Council in which they are key players but focus on value addition through lobbing and advocating for their institutions. This has been by Mr. Benon Yiga (Kira Municipal Town Clerk) in an induction training of the new council members taking place at Matter Wood Hotel in Kyaliwajjala- Namugongo Division.
In his opening remarks Yiga said that one of the major challenges in the local government is failure of the Councilors to understand that they are not in Councils to earn but rather to serve.
“When looking for votes many of you promise much more than what you can fulfill and end up keeping your electorates with much expectations and when they fail to fulfill those much promises they end up talking evil about the Council forgetting that they are the very members of the policy making body and in case of any fault they are all blamed and vice versa” said YIGA.
He added that Kira municipality is a unique Municipality and so has unique challenges which needs unique strategies in order to address those challenges.
“Looking at the population alone Kira Municipality with over 450,000 people is far bigger than some of the Cities in Uganda but when it comes to funding some of these Cities have bigger resource envelops thus leaving Kira with too much demand for services. It is therefore my humble appeal to you that you do not be like such Councilors who are proud with negative attitudes towards their Councils but you build team to always advocate and lobby for the development of Kira for development”. He added.
Yiga gave an example of Hon. Shamim Nalwanga representing Kimwannyi ward who in her period as Councilors at Kira Division (2016/2021) lobbed for the municipality to get its first municipal Amubulance and others health related tools/equipments from Christ Embassy Ministries and, His Worship the Mayor Julius Mutebi who lobbed from the Oman community for the transformation Kimwannyi UMEA Kira Division. “In our budget as the Council, we couldn’t afford such developments but due to personal of effort of those individuals that is now solved and its my appeal to you all that each of you finds a brick to add on our municipal development.”
In his communication the area Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr. Isaac Kawonawo appreciated the Mayor for Julius Mutebi Nsubuga for the good leadership portrayed in his first term in office (2016/2021) that even though he was/is of an Opposition Political Party when it comes to service delivery he worked closely with the Central Government and that’s why he managed to lobby for Kira Health Centre III to be elevated to a Super Health Center IV.
Kawonawo urged Councilors to be very careful on the way they conduct their political responsibilities in line with their social being. “When elected in any political office you may be so excited and feel so big but it becomes so challenging when it comes to demands from the community members who expect that in case of anything like school fees for their children, contribution towards their wedding, burial among others look at the political leader as their solution and if not very careful in financial management, proper planning with vision you will end up scoring nothing” he said.
In two days’ training the team on day one is being trained in the areas of background of Decentralization in Uganda, local government systems in Uganda and the roles of leaders, planning steps: key stages in planning cycle and role of organs of council by Dr. Galukande Michael.