A section of councillors in Busia Municipality is demanding the immediate transfer of Town Clerk Katunda Fenard Mukulu, accusing him of abuse of office, absenteeism, and actions they say have crippled the operations of the municipal council.
The councillors allege that the town clerk has frequently absented himself from duty, failed to provide the technical guidance required for council business, interfered in political affairs, and irregularly awarded himself contracts to collect local revenue.
Busia Municipal Council Speaker Julius Emoit said the municipality is facing a leadership crisis due to what he described as the town clerk’s incompetence. He said the lack of proper technical guidance has prevented the council from constituting its executive committee, while local revenue is allegedly being collected by unknown contractors.
Emoit said the situation has thrown the council into disarray, making it impossible to conduct business because the executive committee has not been constituted. He added that the councillors have given the Ministry of Local Government a seven-day ultimatum to transfer the town clerk.
According to Emoit, the councillors were shocked last month after learning that Mayor Sadiq Amin Agele and the town clerk allegedly facilitated the swearing-in of two councillors as members of the executive committee at the Busia Chief Magistrate’s Court without prior approval by the council.
He said the councillors sought guidance from the Solicitor General, who advised that members of the executive committee must first be approved by the council before assuming office, rather than being sworn in through the court process.
Fatuma Maishallah, the female councillor representing Southwest Parish and Chairperson of the Works Committee, accused the town clerk of neglecting his official responsibilities while using his office to pursue personal interests. Maishallah also called on the Speaker to convene a council meeting to allow the mayor to nominate a fresh list of executive committee members for approval by the full council.
Another councillor, Hamza Wabwire, said the town clerk should be transferred because of what he described as administrative failures that allegedly contributed to the loss of funds during the previous financial year.
Wabwire argued that swearing in executive committee members without council approval undermined the authority and mandate of the council.
Resty Oundo Namakwa, the female councillor representing older persons, said the town clerk’s alleged abuse of office has negatively affected service delivery in the municipality. She urged the Ministry of Local Government to transfer him immediately.
However, Busia Municipality Mayor Sadiki Amin Agele dismissed the allegations, saying he would not be pressured into appointing councillors whom he believes are unwilling to work in the executive committee.
He said he had presented the same nominees to the council on three occasions, but the Speaker consistently blocked their approval. According to the mayor, the decision to have the nominees sworn in at the Busia Chief Magistrate’s Court was provided for under the Local Government Act.
Agele attributed the dispute to political disagreements aimed at frustrating his administration and preventing him from delivering services to the people. He maintained that there is no justification for demanding the transfer of the town clerk and urged fellow leaders to focus on service delivery instead of political wrangles.
When contacted for a response, Busia Town Clerk Fenard Katunda Mukulu, who declined to be recorded or appear on camera, said he is a civil servant and would not be drawn into political disputes. He said he is committed to carrying out his duties professionally and is ready to serve wherever the government posts him should his supervisors decide to transfer him-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
