Rakai district councillors are demanding the removal of the area Resident District Commissioner Sarah Kiyimba for allegedly being hostile.
The councillors argue that the RDC’s conduct undermines the reputation of the President and the strength of the National Resistance Movement-NRM party in the area and have now petitioned the Minister in Charge of the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda to remove her from office.
The petitioners led by Mariam Ssekandi, the Female Councilor for Lwamaggwa Town Council also Secretary for the Education and Social Services Committee accuse the RDC of undermining the local leadership and deliberately making unreasonable decisions to suppress them before the electorate.
She accuses Sarah Kiyimba of being so confrontational in her style of work, which affects the spirit of teamwork and frustrates the district’s aspirations for the holistic transformation of local communities.
Ssekandi explains that besides being arrogant to local leaders, Kiyimba has been issuing ridiculous orders to block various social events including school sports competitions, and instructing security to disperse the participants without room for constructive engagement.
Sadam Bwanika, the L.CV councillor for Lwanda sub-county also accuses the RDC of highhandedness, indicating that as leaders, they have repeatedly sought an audience with her to find lasting solutions to their operational differences, but she has declined all the appeals without giving justifiable reasons. He says that they can no longer work with the RDC in harmony.
Bwanika referred to a decision taken by the RDC late last month to block a youth sports tournament in Byakabanda sub-county because the organizers had not sought permission from her office. Bwanika argues that the RDC single-handedly made the decision and issued instructions to the Police to block the tournament while she was even out of the district.
Rakai District Council Speaker Charles Ssegirinya says that they resolved to first petition the appointing authority before considering a vote of no confidence against the RDC. He adds that should the Minister for the Presidency decline to honour their request of transferring Sarah Kiyimba, he will invoke his powers to convene a council sitting to initiate a process of removing the RDC from the area.
Section 73 of the Local Government Act gives the council powers to recommend the removal of the Resident District Commissioner and deputy, with a resolution by a two-thirds majority vote.
However, Sarah Kiyimba the Rakai Resident District Commissioner has dismissed the allegations labelled against her, arguing that all her decisions are made in the interests of security and after consulting with the relevant stakeholders. She says that all her decisions and instructions have helped her office to ensure peace and public order in the area, and blames her accusers for causing chaos in the area.
URN.