The Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipal Town Clerk, William Makune is under the spotlight for alleged failure to account for over Shillings 100million collected in the first quarter of the 2019/2020 financial year.
This prompted the Mayor and Councilors to close the municipal offices on Friday to get an explanation from the council clerk.
Jackson Kamugasha, the Mayor Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, says the decision to close municipal offices was reached in the extra ordinary council meeting held Friday.
It came after the town clerk and his technical staff boycotted the meeting, which prompted council to close the offices until March Tuesday 2nd, 2020 pending the intervention of the Local Government Minister.
“We have decided to close this place until Tuesday when we expect the Local Government Minister to intervene in our issue of accountability. We have pleaded enough, all in vain,” Kamugasha said.
Gladys Bekunda, the Deputy Speaker Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, says they disappointed that none of the technical officers showed up to respond to their accountability queries.
Jafari Basajabalaba, the Bushenyi District LC V Chairperson has thrown his weight behind the councilor’s decision to close the offices, saying they had held several meetings to harmonise the issue of accountability and embezzlement of funds in vain.
He says that they advanced the municipality Shillings 194 million as local revenue but they have failed to account for it.
Apollo Kakonge, the Executive Director West Ankole Civil Society Forum sued the municipal authorities for denying him access to the bills of quantities and other details related to road construction and works in the municipality.
He applauded the councilors for taking a bold step, saying it is within their mandate to hold technical staff to account.
The embattled town clerk, William Makune locked himself in the offices and declined to comment on the accusations leveled against him.
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