Rogers Bulegeya, the Masaka City Male Youth representative seconded the motion, indicating that they have registered numerous public complaints about the conduct of officials of the buildings review committee, who are accused of corruption.
The Masaka City Council Building Review Committee has been reshuffled
over continued public outcry of misuse of powers in the execution of its responsibilities.
The committee was reshuffled on Monday by the Masaka City Council,
which voted to reconstitute it by dropping Alice Nannungi as its Chairperson,
accusing her of abetting corruption tendencies.
The motion to drop Nnanungi who also serves as the Female City
Councillor for Nyendo-Mukungwe division, was tabled by Masaka City Mayor Florence
Namayanja, and approved by the majority of councilors.
Rogers Bulegeya, the Masaka City Male Youth representative seconded the motion, indicating that they have registered numerous public complaints
about the conduct of officials of the buildings review committee, who are
accused of corruption.
Besides fleecing people of huge sums of money before having
their physical development plans approved to undertake any constructions, he
says, the committee is also accused of frustrating developments by some investors
who decline to bribe its members and agents.
Bulegyeya indicates they have repeatedly cautioned Nnanungi against
the corruption tendencies, and called her to order, but she has deliberately remained
indifferent, hence prompting councilors to appeal to the Mayor to invoke her powers
to reshuffle the committee.
He blames some members of the building review committee for
turning the office into a conduit of self-enrichment through soliciting bribes
and charging hefty plan approval fees, which they however do not report to
the city council treasury.
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The City Building Review Committee is established under the National
Building Reviews Act 2013, and is charged with the responsibility of regulating
and reviewing the approved structural plans and occupation permits, to ensure that all
constructions conform to the standards of urbanization.
Rosette Nansubuga, the Masaka City Couth Female Youth
Councilor told the council that the committee chairperson had usurped powers of
other members including the technical persons, which allowed her the opportunity
to misuse the powers entrusted to the committee.
She argues that dropping the Committee Chairperson is going to
help restore sanity in the city buildings' review and control processes.
Florence Namayanja, the Masaka City Mayor noted that besides
public complaints, the committee chairperson was also due for reshuffling after
serving for the statutory term of two and half years.
She says the changes are
intended to streamline the delivery of services in the city and to build cordial
relationships between the leadership and the community.
Besides Nannungi who was replaced by Resty Mwanje, the city councillor
for Mukungwe, the council also approved the new city executive by confirming
Jane Francis Nabukenya and the Deputy Mayor, Tom Luyobya as Secretary for Finance
and Rosette Nansubuga as the Secretary for Gender and Social Services.
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However, Nannungi said that she has considered challenging the
changes in Courts of law, arguing that her appointment had been renewed by a
decision taken in a council presided over by the previous Masaka City Council
Speaker Tonny Ssempij before he was censured late last month.
