By Watchdog reporter
As local governments including municipalities become increasingly unviable due to constraints of funds, Mukono Municipality mayor has decided to think outside the box.
George Kagimu, a first term mayor, promised to turn Mukono into a haven for development.
Kagimu has however realized he doesn’t have money in his municipal budget to fulfill several things he pledged, including roads.
Watchdog Uganda has seen a letter in which Mayor Kagimu writes to the water minister to ask for roads!
It’s however likely he was lobbying for the road from the minister as a resident in his town. The mayor needs to tarmac a number of roads in the town but he has no funds to carry out his plans.
Unfortunately, the minister who heads the water department has nothing to do with roads and might have conflict of interest to ask for roads in a town he resides in but doesn’t represent.
Secondly, the central government has its roads which are captured in the national budget while the local government should raise its money to fund its roads projects.
Ronald Kibuule has branded himself as a man with president Museveni’s ear. However, the issue of roads are overflowing on both the desks of the president and the minister of roads, leaving Mayor Kagimu one option of lobbying his Member of Parliament, Betty Namboozi, who can lobby the budget committee and the roads minister during the ongoing budgeting process.
Mayor Kagimu could also do a better job lobbying Gen Katumba Wamala, another resident of Mukono whi was appointed Works state minister recently. And, he should lobby Kibuule for water issues which he could have a say about since it’s within his docket.
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