Mukono District Local Government in Crisis over its 2019/2020 Budget

Mukono district leadership is in crisis after falling to pass its 2019/2020 financial year budget before the end of month of May which ended last week on Friday.

This happened after the district speaker Emmanuel Mbonye failed to agree with the district executive which is being led by Andrew Ssenyonga.

Trouble started last week on Tuesday when councilors turned up to attend council meeting at district headquarters but they abandoned it saying that CAO should first pay them their last seating allowances.

On Friday 30^th, May the district chairman Andrew Ssenyonga invited all councilors in his office to try to solve the wrangles which have affected the passing of district budget of this financial.

After that meeting all councilors went to the board at around 6:00pm to pass the budget but this time journalists were not allowed to attend the council meeting.

During this crisis some district officials accused speaker Mbonye of sabotaging district programs by fighting political battles.

However speaker Mbonye says that the district has never passed the alleged budget of this starting financial year saying that Ssenyonga as district chairman has no powers to preside over district council.

Mukono district speaker Emmanuel Mbonye

Mbonye as district speaker explains that he was invited at around 6:00pm to preside over council meeting and he refused to do any business because it was already late saying that any council meeting must be held between 11:00am and not beyond 4:00pm.

He argued that if councilors and the district chairman passed the budget the passed it in wrong forum and its against the rules governing district council which is supposed to be presided over by only the speaker or his deputy.

Some concerned residents of Mukono are threatening to drag Mukono district local government to courts of law of passing district budget without following the right procedures.

Mbonye on his side says that as district speaker is planning to organize another council meeting and he has already written to CAO to provide funds which will enable councilors to attend council and pass this years district budget in proper channels.

How team tried to speak to some of the councilors for them they say that they passed this years budget though it was late in the evening and other sources allege that Mbonye demanded money being given to him before he could preside over that council which sat late hours of Friday 31^st May and on that day Mbony was seen at district headquarters at around 6:00pm.