Dozens of Mbarara district leaders on Sunday morning set off for a retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi district.
The team of 160 leaders, led by the district chairman Capt. JB Bamuturaki included MPs, the RDC, Councilors, Technocrats and NRM cadres.
The agenda for the retreat in Kyankwanzi was not yet clear.
There was however, a scuffle during departure and police was called in to block 8 councilors from boarding the buses.
These found their names crossed out on the list and replaced.
Some of the councilors who were left behind
These included among others, Julius Byekwaso (Kakoba division), Mark Tugume (Kashare Sub County), Deo Rukundo (Nyakayojo division), and Asaph Muhangi (Ndeija Sub County).
These were among the 17 councilors who petitioned Parliament on 21st July 2017, asking for an investigation into the Mbarara district executive committee over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
The section of councilors wanted parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to look into Executive’s role in the disappearance of Shs 111million which was the balance brought forward from the 2015/2016 financial year budget.
The group also raised concerns in their petition about unqualified employees working at the district.
One of them Asaph Muhangi, after being bounced off the bus, told Chimpreports that he was not shaken and that he would continue pushing for transparency at the district.
“We are now targets. Their next step perhaps, is stopping us from attending council; but we are determined. We will keep pushing for impeachment of our chairman, because we serve our people not him,” he said.
Mbarara district Speaker Baramu Ndyaguma reading the names of those traveling to Kyankwanzi
Mbarara district Speaker Baramu Ndyaguma, who was reading the list of those going to Kyankwanzi, denied allegations that the group was left behind “because they are rebel councilors”
“The nominated leaders going for the retreat and training in Kyankwanzi were selected in accordance with one’s lobbying capacity and their nationalism and Pan-Africanism,” the speaker said.
He also denied that they were going to discuss the contentious Presidential Age Limit Amendment.
“That matter is purely for MPs; we have a lot of issues to sort out for Mbarara and that’s what we are going for,” he added.