A group of Butaleja residents are planning to protest after it emerged that local district political leaders are plotting to oust the current RDC Nalongo Kwesiga Eva who is less than three months in her posting. The plotters are also planning to force the appointing authorities to remove her team of assistants. Since arriving in the district, RDC Nalongo has made the fight against corruption her priority, the reason she has aroused the hostilities of local politicians who are accused of abetting and participating in corrupt activities and decisions.
Residents are full of praises for the RDC whom they have commended for practically moving on site to monitor government projects and programmes. They commend her for not being corrupt, unlike most of her predecessors whom they accuse of having been arm chair/Office RDCs or for conniving with corrupt district officials and local leaders.
Moses Lyada aka People Power ,a former NUP flagbearer for Bunyole West constituency had this to say when contacted why he was leading a protest to defend the RDC: “When most of incumbent politicians praise an RDC in Butaleja, chances are high that this official is eating with them, or not doing well his/her job. But if you see them complain against him or her team , then that means they are doing the right thing”.
Since 2021 Butaleja district has had over five RDCs and five CAOs. The high turn over is due to conflicts with district leaders and officials over allegations of corruption. Most of the public officials are pressured into accepting bribes from the politicians and also to pay allegiance to them, or else they be transfered and maliced. It must be noted that RDCs are not political agents to local leaders by common sense and by law.
The angry residents are therefore standing with the office of the RDC despite the leader of the proposed protest being of an opposition political inclination. It should be remembered that Moses Lyada has led several protests and been arrested on several occasions. In September 2022, after demonstrating against unfair and corruption riddled recruitment processes by the Butaleja District Service Commission, he and a team of other activists delivered a petition to the ministry of public service copied to other authorities for action. In 2024 another anti corruption activist and colleague to Lyadda, Mr. Wire James was also arrested and spent a night at Butaleja CPS for saying no to corruption in the way PDM beneficiaries were recruited and unexplained deductions and fees in the money allocated to them.
Stories of corruption in Butaleja are rife with the Daily Monitor publishing a story on 31/July/2023 about “Fraudulent recruitments in local governments. The story focusing on Tororo and Butaleja DSCs enumerated several ways in which the recruitments were corrupted through nepotism, bribery , sexual harassment coupled with recruitment of staff without proper job requirements and qualifications. According to ISO deputy director general Col. Emmy Katabazi, almost 90 percent of the DSC are corrupt. It is thus not surprising that the current Butaleja RDC Nalongo Kwesiga has been following up on such matters . She has physically visited and followed up projects. She has also taken steps to verify how the DSC is carrying out recruitment into the public service emphasizing that they must be qualified staff.
She has also turned her attention to mega construction projects. Construction of the Busolwe town council headquarters has stalled at foundation level where 800 million shillings have so far been sunk in. Critics blame the stalled project on being financed through force accout and without proper accountability of funds.
Other projects which have raised public anger include Butaleja SSS, Kaiti PS and Mazimasa health centre three projects . It is alleged that under all these contractor did not follow Bills of Quantity (BOQS) and had to be disqualified by the district engineer.
The RDC has attempted to write demanding explanations from the CAO to halt all such works in vain. According to Mr. Wire James the chairperson Busolwe hospital board and a social activist in Butaleja, since 2009 5.5 bn shs has been spent on Butaleja House and yet it is still far from completion. He compares it with the magnificent Masengere house built by the Buganda Government at 5 bn shs hence noticing no value for money.
“All this has been happening despite Butaleja having leading national figures like hon Emmanuel Dombo Lumala the Director for Information @Nrm secretariat, H.E Ambassador Dorothy Hyuha currently an ambassador , Hon Justice Mike Chibita of the Supreme Court among others, who would be expected to call the errant district political leaders to order.”
Anselm Wabwire a development consultant and social activists had this to say when asked for a comment.
“Areas which have developed have archived because put their resources to proper use, this has happened because local leadership works well with the other government officials. I don’t believe in the narrative that some areas have been favoured in terms of resource allocations, but rather they have focussed leaders who put development at the helm of their work. A high turnover of central government sent staff is indicative of a terrible situation which should not be ignored”.
Given this state of affairs, Some residents have vowed to hold a peaceful demonstration from Busolwe round about to Butaleja District headquarters as a sign of discontent with the plot to unfairly transfer the hard working RDC Nalongo Kwesiga Eva on 24-fridaay – January- 2025. They have already notified the police for their safety and expect them to act accordingly “if they get unprofessional, we shall respond in equal terms for the good of our land, We call upon all corrupt free loving Banyole to join us regardless of our political, social , religious and economic differences, We equally appeal to the office of the presidency to come on ground other than depending on written resolutions by selfish politicians , they want to forcefully use such offices to their advantage only what a shame??”, said one of the organizers who called up on members who would like to join the efforts and not to wear political attires.
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