By KT Reporter
A report by the select committee constituted by the Kasese District Council to investigate corruption allegations among members of the District Service Commission (DSC) has recommended the immediate resignation of two Rebecca Kabugho Kabyanga and Elijah Kyetunda.
These two represent female and urban councils on the committee. The committee was set up in September following community outcries over allegations of corruption, particularly during the recruitment of staff in the district. Other officers of interest included members of the district executive and the Chief Administrative Officer/Human Resource department.
Presenting the report to council members, Morris Kabunzungwire, the Committee Chairperson, noted that the findings indicated some members of the DSC were directly involved in soliciting bribes from job applicants, promising to support their applications during the recruitment process.
The report recommended that Kabyanga and Kyetunda step down to allow criminal investigations into the suspected abuse and misuse of office.
The committee’s report also highlighted significant political interference in the operations of the DSC, which had an adverse impact on its independence. However, the report was met with protest from some council members, who questioned why some members of the select committee had not appended their signatures to the report as expected.
One such member, Charles Kaliba, who attended the council meeting but did not sign the report, explained that he had declined to sign because some primary findings were not included in the final report for unknown reasons. He chose to present a minority report.
Ham Natuhwera, the Councilor representing Nyakatonzi Sub-county, expressed doubts that the committee had conducted thorough interrogations before compiling the report.
Kasese District Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Eliab Begumya Ntarwete, advised that the committee members needed to go back, review all the facts, and present a fully signed document to the council.
Kasese District Council Speaker, Johnson Mayora, directed that the council considers giving a fair hearing to the accused individuals during a full council sitting scheduled for December 18-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
