National Resistance Movement (NRM) councillors in Kamuli district local government have sacked their caucus chairperson, Chris Wabwire over what they claim is his newfound allegiance to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP)-party. Wabwire is the Mbulamuti sub-county male councillor.

Led by Maxwell Kuwembula, the Kamuli District LC V chairperson, the councillors argue that Wabwire’s public declaration of support for NUP is contradictory to his role as the leader of NRM councillors. They believe that his actions have weakened the party’s position throughout the district, with grassroots supporters blaming the councillors for failing to take disciplinary action against him.

Kuwembula explains that Wabwire is also accused of supporting motions forwarded by the opposition, disregarding the NRM party that sponsored his candidacy, which has caused confusion within the district council. He explains that this has left NRM councillors uncertain about, which agenda to pursue when their caucus leader supports resolutions proposed by the minority opposition members.

The caucus members have replaced Wabwire with his deputy, Erina Ndibogeza. Ndibogeza has assured her colleagues that she will serve as a unifying force in the council, prioritizing the NRM agenda and government programs such as the ongoing rollout of the Parish Development Model (PDM). She acknowledges that the disagreements between the majority of NRM councillors and their former caucus leader have hindered council operations.

Many councillors had formed camps aligned either with the status quo or against it. However, with her election as their leader, she aims to streamline their work. Wabwire, on the other hand, expresses his belief that the position did not provide him with a significant opportunity to improve service delivery to the electorate. Consequently, he feels that focusing his allegiance on the NRM was inconsequential.

“I had hoped that NRM would offer us a platform to serve the people better, however, nothing has changed from the bad roads, insufficient medicines in government health facilities, inadequate classrooms, etc., and remaining in a non-transformational leadership umbrella was neither beneficial to me, nor to my electorates,” he said.

According to Wabwire, most leaders in Kamuli are prone to lamenting about the inadequate state of service delivery without offering viable solutions for the welfare of the population.

“The newly acquired title of NRM caucus chairperson in council was often accorded to me during all functions ranging from funerals, weddings, among others, and this had prompted the wider public to assume that, I was the ray of hope towards the fulfilment of their service delivery needs. However, I was powerless to lobby anything from the government I was serving and there was no need for me to continue clinging myself to a position, which was not edifying my community in any way,” he said.

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