Former councillors in Namutumba District have petitioned the Ministry of Local Government, seeking government intervention over unpaid salaries, allowances and other emoluments they say have remained outstanding since May and June 2021.
The petition follows a meeting held last Thursday between former councillors and district technical staff led by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Emmanuel Ofwono. The meeting reportedly ended in disagreement after district officials informed the former leaders that they had instead been overpaid and were required to refund money to the district.
During the meeting, the district auditor reportedly told the former councillors that an audit had established overpayments, adding that each affected councillor was expected to refund Shs350,000.
“The district overpaid you and, in the process, some of you defrauded the district. It is the district demanding money from you, not the other way round. Each councillor is required to refund Shs350,000,” the auditor said.
In a petition dated June 4 and copied to the Regional Inspectorate of Government office in Jinja and other relevant agencies, the former councillors questioned the management of approximately Shs300 million that was reportedly released in April to settle outstanding salary and allowance arrears.
The petitioners argue that while councillors were entitled to receive Shs250,000 per month, they were paid only Shs175,000 after Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions and are demanding accountability for the difference.
“The purpose of this letter is to request your intervention and enforcement of the advice issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, who directed the Chief Administrative Officer to pay the former councillors their outstanding salaries. However, the CAO has declined to implement the directive, saying he will make his own decision on the matter,” the petition states in part.
Winnifred Nabirye, who represented workers and previously served as a youth councillor in the fourth council, said the decision to seek intervention from the ministry was reached after local efforts to resolve the matter failed.
“Our repeated efforts to secure payment of our arrears and obtain explanations for the shortfalls have fallen on deaf ears,” Nabirye said.
The dispute follows tensions that emerged earlier this year when councillors serving in the fourth council reportedly refused to approve the district’s 2026/27 budget, citing failure by the social services committee to clear their salary and allowance arrears.
Following the swearing-in of new councillors on May 14, the fifth council convened on May 21 and approved the district budget that had initially been expected to be handled by the outgoing council.
Former councillors say they were repeatedly assured that their arrears would be paid. Mary Mukyala said Geoffrey Mugoya, who now serves as district vice chairperson and previously served as Speaker of the fourth council, had informed them that each councillor was entitled to Shs1,050,000 in unpaid salaries, allowances and emoluments.
“He was our speaker in the fourth council. While we were preparing the district handover report to the incoming council, he told us our money would be paid before the fifth council resumed business. However, to date we have not been paid,” Mukyala said.
Mukyala further claimed that former councillors sought assistance from the current District Speaker, Simon Peter Wakudumira, who previously chaired the Finance Committee during the fourth council. According to her, Wakudumira had initially supported their demand for payment but now maintains that all outstanding dues were settled.
“He, who was our chairperson of the Finance Committee in the fourth council, told us not to pass the budget because we were demanding our salaries. But now that he is the Speaker in the fifth council, he is backing the technical staff who are withholding our money,” she alleged.
Efforts to obtain an official response from district authorities were unsuccessful.
District Communications Officer Noah Kiire declined to comment and referred inquiries to the District Speaker.
“I am not in a position to comment on the matter. You can talk to the District Speaker, Mr Simon Peter Wakudumira,” Kiire said.
Wakudumira also declined to comment on the dispute.
The former councillors are now seeking intervention from the Ministry of Local Government and other oversight agencies to establish the status of the funds and facilitate payment of any outstanding arrears.