Masaka City councillors have boycotted a three-day induction training organised by the Ministry of Local Government, accusing city authorities of failing to pay their allowances for the past six months.
The councillors, representing Kimanya-Kabonera and Nyendo-Mukungwe divisions, alongside other city council members, staged a protest on Tuesday at Next Hotel in Masaka, where the training was scheduled to take place. They demanded payment of their outstanding allowances before participating in the exercise.
The standoff left officials from the Ministry of Local Government stranded as the councillors refused to attend the training, which was intended to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to execute their responsibilities.
The councillors accused city authorities, particularly Town Clerk Uthuman Ssebadduka, of failing to facilitate payment of their allowances despite claims that the funds had been released.
They said they had not received their allowances since the beginning of the current financial year, adding that they had been informed that the money was released as early as July.
The councillors further claimed that the previous city council had left three months of unpaid allowances owed to members who served during the previous term, raising concerns about the accumulation of payment arrears.
The disagreement began shortly after the councillors arrived at Next Hotel to attend the induction organised by the Ministry of Local Government.
Instead of proceeding with the training, the councillors reportedly informed ministry officials that they would not participate until their outstanding allowances were paid.
Their decision disrupted the programme and triggered a confrontation with Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja, who reportedly told those unwilling to participate in the training to leave.
The exchange heightened tensions, prompting hotel management to ask the councillors to leave the premises.
The councillors subsequently proceeded to the mayor’s office, where they maintained their demand for payment and vowed not to attend the training until the matter was resolved.
They argued that it was unfair for the government to expect them to participate in official activities while their allowances remained unpaid.
Beyond the unpaid allowances, the councillors raised concerns about the alleged failure to release funds intended to support service delivery in their respective divisions.
They said the delays had affected their ability to address persistent challenges facing residents, including poor road conditions and the accumulation of garbage in different parts of the city.
The councillors questioned why their divisions continued to experience service delivery challenges despite the government’s reported annual allocation of Shs1 billion for road works.
They argued that the alleged failure to release the funds had undermined efforts to improve urban infrastructure and maintain sanitation standards.
However, the claims concerning the release of allowances and service delivery funds had not been independently verified by the time of publication.
The dispute also exposed tensions among councillors, with some alleging that their colleagues from Nyendo-Mukungwe Division and representatives on the city council had started receiving their allowances while those from Kimanya-Kabonera remained unpaid.
The Kimanya-Kabonera councillors vowed not to resume the training until they, too, received their money, insisting that all affected councillors should be treated fairly.
RCC intervenes
As the standoff intensified, Masaka City Resident City Commissioner Ahmed Washaki intervened in an attempt to calm the councillors and persuade them to reconsider their position.
Washaki reportedly assured the councillors that he would follow up on their concerns. However, they remained dissatisfied, insisting that they needed a clear commitment on when their outstanding allowances would be paid.
Ministry officials subsequently attempted to relocate the training to another venue within the mayor’s office in an effort to continue with the programme.
However, the councillors reportedly blocked the move, forcing officials to abandon their efforts to proceed with the exercise as planned.
The incident left the officials in a difficult position, with the training programme failing to proceed as intended amid the continuing disagreement.
Town Clerk Uthuman Ssebadduka later held discussions with the RCC and local government officials as efforts to resolve the impasse continued.
The councillors questioned him about the delayed payments, but his explanations reportedly failed to satisfy them.
Ssebadduka explained that he was relatively new to Masaka and that several issues within the payment system were still being addressed.
He assured the councillors that their allowances would be paid once the outstanding administrative issues had been resolved.
However, the explanation did little to ease tensions, with the councillors insisting that they wanted a definite payment date rather than further assurances.
The councillors eventually called in the police to help manage the situation as the disagreement continued.
They later issued an ultimatum, giving the authorities until Tuesday evening to pay their outstanding allowances.
The councillors warned that if the money was not paid by the deadline, they would resume their protest on Wednesday.
The three-day induction training was organised to equip councillors with the knowledge and skills needed to perform their duties effectively.
However, the protest threatened to disrupt the programme, with the councillors maintaining that they would not participate until their concerns over unpaid allowances were addressed.
The standoff raises questions about the relationship between elected city leaders and the technical administration, particularly regarding the timely payment of allowances and the management of funds intended for service delivery.
Efforts to resolve the disagreement were still underway by the time of publication.