Kitgum Municipality Mayor Suspended from Council

The speaker of Kitgum Municipal Council Raegan Nokrach has suspended the Municipal Council Mayor Richard Ojara Okwera from attending council business for two consecutive sittings.

The suspension was imposed on Wednesday during a continuation of a September 16 full council meeting convened at the Municipal Council Hall.

This is the second time Ojara has been suspended from the house after previously being suspended for allegedly being disruptive and disrespectful during a September 16th council meeting that ended prematurely.

The controversy of Ojara’s suspension revolves around the renovation of a building owned by the Kitgum Municipal Council, which is rented to GAPCO petrol station, in the central division.

Councillors claimed that the Kitgum Municipal Council Executives and the Town Clerk acted unlawfully by allowing the structure to be leased in 2015 without following the proper council procurement procedures. The leasehold offer for the property is expected to expire in June 2025.

Nokrach noted that Ojara's behaviour was the cause for his suspension, stating that the mayor disrupted the councillors' deliberations during the September meeting.

He said the mayor didn’t only cause disturbances but also used abusive language towards the council, which was deemed unacceptable.

“As a result of this conduct, Ojara will miss two consecutive council meetings,” said Nokrach.

Ojara however dismissed the suspension calling it "irrelevant" and "without merit arguing the Speaker does not have the authority to suspend him.

"As a full-time employee of the Municipality, my suspension is irrelevant. The Speaker's decision only applies to councillors, not to the mayor"," Ojara told Uganda Radio Network in an interview Wednesday.

The issue regarding the renovation of the Municipal Council property which formerly housed the Central Division Council offices has been a subject of debate in the past months.

Uganda Radio Network understands that GAPCO, has committed 135 million shillings towards the renovation of the structure. Once renovation works are completed, GAPCO is expected to remit 3 million shillings in rent, with 1.12 million deducted monthly to recover renovation costs.

Councillors have since recommended halting the renovation to ensure proper procedures are followed to promote transparency and accountability.

In a related development, the Kitgum Municipal Council has also moved a motion to dismiss Uthman Ssebaduka, the Kitgum Municipal Town Clerk, in connection with the renovation of the municipal structure for the GAPCO petrol station.

The motion was proposed by Benjamin Okene, the Councillor for West B Ward, who asserted that by signing the addendum with GAPCO without the council's approval, Ssebaduka demonstrated a lack of respect for the council and exhibited incompetence. This motion was seconded by Ocakacon Francis, the councillor from Pongdwongo Ward.