There was reported tension and confrontation in parts of Mbale City on Tuesday as outgoing Local Council One (LC1) chairpersons resisted handing over official council stamps to newly elected leaders during the swearing-in and handover ceremonies.
The incidents involved several long-serving LC1 chairpersons, some of whom reportedly questioned the recently concluded elections and initially declined to surrender the official stamps used to conduct council business.
Among those affected was Abdu Salam Namonye, the outgoing chairperson of North Road Cell in North Central Ward, who had served in the position for about 35 years.
Namonye initially refused to hand over the official stamp and reportedly left the venue with it, citing alleged irregularities in the LC1 elections.
Mbale Northern City Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Were Yahaya, directed police to ensure that Namonye surrendered the stamp, saying outgoing leaders were required to hand over all government property to facilitate a smooth transition.
We have directed all outgoing LC1 chairpersons to hand over the official stamps to the new leaders so that government business can continue without interruption,” Yahaya said.
The standoff escalated when Namonye’s son was arrested and placed on the RDC’s pickup truck. Namonye later returned to the venue after receiving calls concerning his son and handed over the stamp to Humble Felix, a town agent for Central Ward in Mbale Northern City Division.
A similar incident was reported in Kichafu Cell in Nabuyonga Ward, involving former LC1 chairperson Kayole Abdu, who had reportedly served for about 40 years.
Witnesses said Kayole and his sons armed themselves with pangas as they resisted the handover, prompting security officers to intervene.
The standoff was eventually resolved after security intervention, and the official stamp was handed over.
In Namasaba 3 Central Cell in Namabassa Ward, outgoing LC1 chairperson Wilberforce Mugibawire was also reported to have delayed handing over the official stamp during the transition.
Resistance was similarly reported in Doko Cell, where the former chairperson reportedly did not pick up nomination forms to contest in the recent elections, and in Kireka Central Cell.
The incidents have raised concern over tensions emerging from the recently concluded LC1 elections, particularly in areas where long-serving chairpersons lost their positions or did not participate in the electoral process.
According to the Deputy RCC, security officers were deployed at some of the affected handover ceremonies to prevent confrontations and ensure that government property was transferred to the newly elected leaders.
The handover of the official stamps was eventually completed in the affected cells, paving the way for the newly elected LC1 chairpersons to assume their responsibilities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
