By KT Reporter
The Mbarara City Finance Officer, David Mbarekye Tibekinga, is under scrutiny following a petition by 24 technical staff accusing him of misconduct, indiscipline, and unprofessional behaviour. The petition, addressed to the City Mayor and the City Town Clerk, was tabled during Tuesday’s council session by Deputy Mayor Priscah Murongo, who presented the Executive Committee report.
According to the petition, Mbarekye is accused of disrespecting colleagues, threatening violence, engaging in physical confrontations, causing unwarranted delays in payment processing, sabotaging revenue collection, abusing accounting officers, and unauthorised communication.
Murongo added that the finance officer is also accused of releasing council documents to the public without approval, a practice she said violates public service ethics. She told the council that the committee recommended the immediate constitution of an investigative committee and that Mbarekye step aside to allow investigations to proceed without interference.
The matter was also highlighted in the report of the Multipurpose Committee, presented by its Chairperson Eunice Asiimwe, who noted that department heads had expressed deep dissatisfaction with the finance officer’s conduct. Asiimwe said staff who appeared before the committee accused Mbarekye of abusing colleagues, delaying payments, and refusing to release funds for departmental activities.
She added that the committee further recommended that Mbarekye be sent for benchmarking in neighbouring local governments to improve his teamwork and interpersonal skills. “His behavior lacks teamwork, so we recommended that he be sent to other districts to learn working with others. Hopefully his behavior can change,” she said.
Mbarara City Council Speaker Bonny Tashobya directed the City Town Clerk, Simon Ejau, to constitute a formal committee to investigate the allegations against Mbarekye. Deputy Town Clerk Ejau confirmed having received the petition but declined to provide details.
Speaking to journalists after the council session, Mbarekye dismissed the claims, alleging that his colleagues had been bribed to frame him. He referenced a letter dated 21st October 2025, arguing that the complainants bypassed the Town Clerk’s office, which is the legally mandated channel for such matters.
Mbarekye further claimed he is being witch‑hunted after discovering that some staff had allegedly shared over 712 million shillings, money meant for property tax and other development projects.
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