Rukiga District LC5 Chairman Sacks Vice Chairman Over Insubordination

RUKIGA: The Rukiga District LC5 Chairman, Mbabazi Robert Kakwerere, has sacked his District Vice Chairman, Samuel Niwandinda, citing insubordination and a breach of the oath of allegiance.

The dismissal was made under Section 20(a) of the Local Governments Act.

In an official letter dated February 5, 2025, Kakwerere announced the revocation of Niwandinda’s appointment as Vice Chairperson and as a member of the District Executive.

He instructed the District Chief Administrative Officer to oversee the retrieval of all government property in Niwandinda’s possession.

Kakwerere further stated that the responsibilities of the Vice Chairperson would be temporarily assigned to another member of the Executive until the next council session, where a new substantive Vice Chairperson will be presented for approval.

Niwandinda, who also served as the Secretary for Finance, Planning, and Administration, has been openly critical of Kakwerere’s leadership.

On January 20, 2025, Niwandinda accused Kakwerere of failing to provide public accountability to the electorate, which he claimed had hindered the effectiveness of their work.

He alleged that Kakwerere consistently ignored advice from the Executive and failed to implement recommendations.

Niwandinda criticized Kakwerere’s oversight of government programs such as Emyooga, the Youth Livelihood Program, and the Women Empowerment Project, claiming these initiatives were poorly managed.

He also accused Kakwerere of undermining the independence of district commissions, including the Service Commission, Land Board, and Public Accounts Committee, which he said has negatively impacted service delivery in the district.

Following his dismissal, Niwandinda, who is also the District Councilor representing Rwamucucu Sub-county, announced his intention to challenge Kakwerere in the upcoming National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries, vowing to address the leadership failures he attributes to his former boss.