Parliament approves inclusion of Bukuya County in Kassanda District

Parliament has approved the creation of Kassanda District Local Government to include Bukuya County in accordance with a Mubende District council resolution of 25 May 2010.

The approval followed a motion presented by the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Tom Butime at a sitting of parliament chaired by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah on Wednesday, 08 August 2018.

The motion however, had raised concerns from sections of MPs as it stated that there was need for alteration of boundaries of Kassanda and Mubende local governments.

Oulanyah informed the Members that when the process of creation of new districts was halted by Cabinet, a subsequent motion was brought to Parliament for creation of counties which was not accounted for upon the reactivation of the creation of districts.

He alluded to the motion to create Omoro district out of Omoro County, which upon halting of the process, saw the creation of Tochi County which he added was not accounted for upon the reactivation of the process of creating Omoro district.

“The question is whether it is a motion altering a district boundary or is it a motion to correct this particular anomaly,” Oulanyah said.

Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (FDC, Kira Municipality) said that it would have been prudent for the motion to go to the relevant committee of Parliament to give MPs a chance to be part of the consultations alluded to by the Ministry of Local Government.

“I fear we may think it is a correctional motion and then tomorrow, we get an appraisal in one part of Mubende that, either you have included us where we do not want to be or you have excluded us,” said Ssemujju Nganda.

Kassanda North MP, Hon. Patrick Nsamba Oshabe however, noted that the only issue at hand was the technicality on the creation of Kassanda district that currently has two counties under it.

“There is no problem between Kassanda North, Kassanda South and Bukuya counties but just a technicality we want to correct,” said Nsamba.

He added that a new district council was created in Kassanda district, with councillors from Bukuya County taking on leadership positions, saying, “we request you members to correct that anomaly so that we have a legally binding institution in Kassanda district which started on 01 July 2018”.

Butime said that he had adequately addressed the substance of the motion, which was to take effect from 01 July 2018.

“I concluded by saying that the boundaries of the newly created Kassanda District Local Government be corrected to include Bukuya County,” said Butime.

The motion also sought to have the creation of Kassanda District take effect from 01 July 2018 to allow residents of Bukuya County participate in the elections of the local government leadership.