The Vice District Chairman of Rukiga district is up in arms after being fired by his boss, the District Chairman.
Rukiga District Chair Robert Mbabazi Kakwerere called the end to Niwandinda’s term in a February 5. He fired his vice, accusing him of insubordination and breaking the oath of allegiance—in a sacking that comes barely a month after Samuel Niwandinda criticized his boss over service delivery.
In a letter, the chairperson instructed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to oversee the return of all government property held by the sacked official.
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“By the powers vested in me under Section 20(a) of the Local Governments Act, I hereby revoke the appointment of Niwandinda as Vice Chairperson and as a member of the district Executive due to insubordination and violation of the oath of allegiance,” Kakwerere wrote.
“The duties of the district vice chairperson shall be delegated to any member of the Executive until the next council sitting, when a substantive vice chairperson will be presented for approval,” continues the letter, also copied to Rukiga District Speaker Oscar Akampurira and Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi, among others.
The sacked Niwandinda protested his dismissal, accusing Kakwerere of violating proper procedures and undermining the authority of the district council.
“The act is wrong and illegal. He should have followed the procedures he took while appointing me and other executive members. His decision must be supported by three-quarters of the council members to become legal,” Niwandinda pitched.
Niwandinda insists that Rukiga District natives “have never received proper accountability regarding service delivery.”
He added, “Another big mistake Kakwerere made is directing the CAO to facilitate the handover. Now, whom am I handing over to? According to procedure, the CAO should implement lawful council resolutions. There is no council minute guiding the CAO to facilitate this handover.”
It is reported that in January, Niwandinda criticized Kakwerere over persistent gaps in service delivery.
Niwandinda accused his boss of failing to implement critical measures to retain staff, “resulting in many employees exiting the district for better opportunities in other local governments.”
“As a district, we have a high staff turnover. Most of our technical personnel have quit their jobs, making Rukiga lead in labor turnover within the Kigezi sub-region.”
Niwandinda, who also serves as the Secretary for Finance, Planning, and Administration, also complained about the poor functioning of key district bodies, including the District Service Commission, the District Land Board, and the Public Accounts Committee.
“I have raised these concerns with my boss multiple times. Despite efforts to address these, no progress has been made,” he highlighted.
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