Rukungiri Municipal Council Postpones Chief Whip Approval After Heated Debate

Rukungiri: Newly elected councillors of Rukungiri Municipal Council today May 22, rejected the nomination of a council chief whip proposed by the newly sworn-in Mayor, Boaz Kansiime Matita, leading to a heated debate during the council’s inaugural sitting.

The disagreement arose shortly after the swearing-in of Mayor Boaz Kansiime Matita, municipal councillors, Speaker Constance Tumusiime, and her Deputy Speaker. During the ceremony, held at Riverside Hotel in Rukungiri Municipality, the Speaker and Municipal Town Clerk, Isaiah Tumwesigye, asked the Mayor to nominate a council chief whip for approval by the council.

Mayor Matita initially nominated Ndorero Ward Councillor Morning Johnson of the PFF party. However, several councillors, including Gideon Turyamureba of PFF representing Kanyinya Ward and Innocent Rubarondesa Museveni of PFF representing Kinyasano Ward, immediately challenged the nomination.

The councillors argued that it is not the Mayor’s responsibility to appoint a chief whip. Instead, they said each political party represented in the council should nominate its own candidate and present the name to the council for approval.

When Speaker Constance Tumusiime sought guidance from the Town Clerk, he advised that the chief whip should come from the ruling party, the NRM. His guidance sparked further objections from opposition councillors.

Following the advice, Mayor Matita nominated Abraham Baryajunwa, the NRM councillor for Kigaga Ward, for the position. Opposition councillors again protested, insisting that the process was not in line with the provisions of the Constitution and established council procedures.

As tensions grew, Speaker Constance Tumusiime suspended the matter and ruled that the nomination and approval of the council chief whip would be deferred to the next municipal council meeting, whose date will be communicated later.

In his remarks, Mayor Matita cautioned councillors, particularly those in the opposition, against promoting divisions within the council. He said he had attempted to accommodate the opposition by offering them the position, but his efforts were not appreciated.

The Mayor noted that the speakership election reflected political divisions within the council, with all 16 NRM councillors voting for their candidate while the 12 opposition councillors supported their own candidate.

He called on all councillors to put aside political differences and work together in the interest of service delivery and the development of Rukungiri Municipality.