Godfrey Kayemba, the interim City Mayor says that the government committed to allocate 100 billion shillings to each of the new cities as their start-up capital, which has not been the case hence causing a standstill in executing of plans.
Mbabali argues that the current municipal council lacks physical planning structure for a city, arguing that at the moment the responsibility is vested in the district leadership until a substantive structure is fully constituted. He says they will soon call for a stakeholder’s meeting to brief them about their position.
The local leadership led by the Municipality Mayor Godfrey Kayemba, have petitioned the Minister for Local Government Raphael Magyezi, demanding for discontinuation of Multiplex Alshamas Limited from continuing with the contract for Masaka central market over failure deliver the works on schedule.
In the 2018/19 financial year, government allocated Masaka municipality Shillings 2.4 billion for periodical roads maintenance works. However, the money was returned to the Central Treasury because of the failure by the municipality to utilize it despite the sorry state of the road network there.
The Municipality is struggling to maintain the street lights over high power bills. According to the municipal authorities, at least 250 million Shillings is required every year to keep the streetlights on.
At the centre of the growing controversy is the municipality Mayor Godfrey Kayemba, who prefers to extend into the urban areas that fall under Lwengo and Kalungu districts, a proposal that Masaka LCV Chairperson Jude Mbabali is against.
The Masaka LC V Chairperson, Jude Mbabali openly clashed with the Mayor Godfrey Kayemba over the boundaries of the proposed city. It all started after Mbabali claimed that they had unanimously resolved to have the entire Masaka district converted into a city.
Masaka municipality has failed to maintain the installed lights due to financial constraints, leaving the streets in total darkness. Records indicate that the municipality requires at least 21 million Shillings every month to keep the lights functioning.
Richard Odongo, the project site engineer confirms they have run short of funds to proceed with the project works, arguing that the Municipality has since May delayed their payments despite several certificates of payments submitted to the municipal Town clerk.
In June, the Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aheng wrote to the Masaka District Chairperson asking them to secure at least two acres of land close to the regional referral hospital on which government would construct a Regional Heart Centre.
The shadow Mayor, Mariam Tusiime says they decided to form an alternative leadership to give direction and counsel to the official leadership. According to Tusiime, they were motivated by the fact that majority of the elected councilors are new and lack any leadership skills.
Tony Ssempijja, a councilor in Masaka Municipality says they have agreed to suspend the purchase to ensure that the money is used to facilitate waste management in the town to stem a possible outbreak of disease.
