By Innocent Atuganyira
MASINDI: The councillors in Masindi district have Thursday unanimously boycotted the council sitting they were supposed to approve the Financial Year 2022/23 Budget over unpaid allowance.
According to reliable sources, the angry councillors are demanding the payment for one committee seat they had recently, and they were supposed to pass and approve FY 2022/23 budget of shillings 38billion.
The aggrieved councillors had a caucus meeting chaired by Simon Byaruhanga the district youth councillor who also doubles as the chief whip from 9am to 1pm until Cosmas Byaruhanga the Masindi district LCV chairperson questioned them whether they will have a council meeting or not.
”We shall not have the council meeting or approve the FY 2022/2023 budget until we are paid,” they responded.
Though the district chairperson convinced the councillors to have the council meeting, they declined and disclosed that unless they are paid, they will not have any council seating.
Addressing Journalists shortly after meeting the councillors, Byaruhanga stressed that it was unfortunate for the councillors to boycott the council meeting saying that they were supposed to approve the budget.
Byaruhanga disclosed that the district has struggled for the last two years during the corona virus and were able to pay all the councillors adding they are demanding only one committee meeting.
The politician says that the district has promised to pay the councillors since Phiona Sanyu the Masindi Chief Administrative Officer has secured money.
”It’s unfortunate they have not passed the budget, and it’s affecting the service delivery in the district,” said Byaruhanga.
Speaking to Journalists in his office, Moses Kirya the Speaker Masindi district said he was informed by the clerk to council when he was still in his office that councillors had boycotted the council meeting.
Kirya disclosed that this prompted him to ask councillors why they have boycotted the council seating and they disclosed that they want their payment for the last committee meeting.
”It’s true they are demanding one committee meeting, and they will be paid, but they won’t be paid for today’s council meeting because they have boycotted it. We shall have another council seat before this month ends,” said Kirya.
When approached for comment, the councillors declined to talk to media.
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