END OF WAR AS MASINDI DISTRICT CHAIRMAN, MAYOR RECONCILE

By Asimu Ayesiga

MASINDI:  Masindi district Chairperson, Cosmas Byaruhanga, and the Mayor Masindi Municipality, Ronald Kyomuhendo Businge have reconciled and agreed to work together for the development of Masindi district.

The duo has been in arms ever since Byaruhanga expressed interests in the Masindi municipality parliamentary seat in the 2026 elections, a post Kyomuhendo once was interested in.

Early this month, the minister of state for public services, Grace Mary Mugasa, intervened and met the two to reconcile them.

In an exclusive interview with this publication, Byaruhanga, accused Kyomuhendo of interfering with and influencing the district council, something he said has been affecting the service delivery in the district.

‘’The municipal mayor has been interfering with and influencing my council, and I was about to also start interfering with and influencing his council; lucky enough, the minister intervened, and we reconciled,’’ he said.

Following the minister’s intervention, Byaruhanga says they have agreed to work together and ensure good service delivery in the district and the municipality.

‘’We shall have a meeting with the councilors of both the municipality and the district to show that the leaders of the two entities  are one  and have  agreed to work together for the betterment of  the district,’’ he clarified.

When contacted, Kyomuhendo, however, refuted the allegations that he has been influencing the district council, saying that he has no authority to influence the district council.

‘’I have no authority to influence the district council because it’s not my area of jurisdiction, but if he said I influence the district council, I thank him for that,’’ he jokingly responded.

Kyomuhendo added that he has no problem with the district chairperson, but advised him to do things that are within his jurisdiction. ‘’I have no problem with the district chairman, but let him remain in his lane,’’ he advised.

The Minister of State for Public Services, Grace Mary Mugasa, notes that early politicking is the major cause of conflicts among the leaders in the district which has seen them accusing each other of fronting and sponsoring candidates against one another.

She therefore warned the leaders against early politics, saying this is the time to work and improve service delivery in the district, noting that politics will begin in 2025. ‘’Leaders should avoid early politics because it’s affecting service delivery. Campaigns will resume in 2025, but not now,’’ she warned.

Minister Mugasa said that the leaders have buried their misunderstandings and agreed to work together for service delivery and the development of Masindi.

‘’They have agreed to work together and improve on the service delivery, and in case they fail, this may force the ministry of local government to take over the district,’’ she said.

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