Four years into his term, Buwembo has reported a significant rise in local revenue, from over UGX 400 million to more than UGX 800 million. Addressing the media, he attributed the increase to his administration’s strong anti-corruption measures.
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Paul Mukungu, the former Luwero Town Council LC 3 chairman.
A sharp disagreement has erupted in Luwero Town Council between the current LC3 Chairperson, Chris Johns Buwembo, and his predecessor, Paul Mukungu, over the surge in local revenue collections and how the funds are being managed.
Buwembo, a member of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), assumed office after defeating Mukungu of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2021 general elections. Four years into his term, Buwembo has reported a significant rise in local revenue, from over UGX 400 million to more than UGX 800 million. Addressing the media, he attributed the increase to his administration’s strong anti-corruption measures.
“Before I came into office, local revenue collections were consistently mismanaged. Pocketing of public funds was a common practice,” said Buwembo. He claimed that cracking down on misappropriation was one of his priorities upon taking office.
His anti-graft campaign began with the transfer of then-Town Clerk Irene Nakamatte, with whom he had a notably strained relationship. By July 2022, the two were reportedly no longer on speaking terms. Buwembo had even reported Nakamatte to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) over alleged irregularities in service delivery.
Buwembo maintains that these actions helped plug revenue leaks, setting the town council on a path toward achieving its new target of UGX 1 billion in annual local revenue. However, his predecessor, Paul Mukungu, dismissed Buwembo’s claims. “The increase in revenue is due to the introduction of new taxes, not improved management,” Mukungu told reporters. He added that the revenue figures are meaningless if they don’t reflect in better service delivery.
“The town is still grappling with poor garbage collection and other basic services,” Mukungu said. Despite his stance against corruption, Buwembo’s leadership has not been without controversy. In June 2022, he faced a vote of no confidence from councilors over allegations of abuse of office and misconduct.
On June 22, 2022, then-Town Council Speaker Rebecca Namale formally petitioned the Luwero Chief Administrative Officer, Elizabeth Namanda, to convene a council meeting to debate a motion for Buwembo’s removal. The petition, signed by nine councilors, was also copied to the LC5 Chairperson Erastus Kibirango and the Resident District Commissioner Richard Bwabye.
The accusations against Buwembo included undermining standing committees, blocking executive members from monitoring projects, refusing to sign the council’s approved budget estimates, and making unsubstantiated corruption claims against technical staff and fellow councilors—allegedly damaging their reputations.
In response, Buwembo dismissed the petition as a political witch-hunt. “This is just intimidation. The petition lacks substance and was driven by my anti-corruption efforts targeting technical staff and district officials,” he said. As the standoff continues, residents and stakeholders are left to assess whether the spike in revenue will indeed translate into meaningful improvements in public service delivery.
