Amuria and Kapelebyong District Councils have failed to pass their budget for the next financial year after councilors protested the non-payment of allowances and the absence of copies of the budget.
Amuria and
Kapelebyong District Councils have failed to pass their budget for the next
financial year after councilors protested the non-payment of allowances and
the absence of copies of the budget.
In Amuria district, the budget approval was expected on Monday but the
councilors boycotted the sitting, leaving Charles Otim, the Council Speaker
without a quorum.
Christopher Okiring, the Amuria District Communications Officer
says the councilors are demanding allowances for three months.
He says that the district has written to the Ministry of Finance to explain the
situation in the district as the deadline for approval of the budget passed on
Tuesday.
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In Kapelebyong, the approval of the budget hit a deadlock when councilors
demanded copies of the budget from the Clerk to Council, Peter Olobai. The
budget approval, which was among the last items on the order paper was called
off when councilors walked out of the council chambers in protest of the absence of
copies.
The pleas by
the Council Speaker, Richard Okiru fell on deaf ears of the angry councilors.
Francis
Akorikin, the LCV Chairperson said that failure to provide councilors with
copies of the budget is an abuse of the council which is a legislative organ in the
district.
// cue in “We have noted…
Cue out…got copies”//
Stephen Ebaju Epenu, the male councilor representing Obalanga Sub County
threatened to impeach the speaker if he insisted on passing the budget without
members getting copies.
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James Kidega, the Resident District Commissioner faulted the technical arm of
the district for incompetence. According to Kidega, the CAO and his technical
team should have prioritized the budget activity since it is the engine of the
district operations.
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David Lubuuka, the Chief Administrative Officer of Kapelebyong was out for a
workshop on District Discretionary Equalization Grant in Kampala.
