Chief Magistrates told to prioritise the swearing-in of incoming district executive committees

The judiciary has directed all the chief magistrates to set aside their work and prioritise the swearing-in of in-coming district executive committees.

This directive was contained in a May 14 memo to the Judicial Officers written by the Chief Registrar,Sarah Langa Siu,

Regulation 2 of the 3rd Schedule and the 8th Schedule of the Local Government Act requires all elected local council leaders to take the oath of allegiance and oath of the office they are elected to serve in before assuming office.

The Chief Administrative Officers and the clerks to district councils have been also advised to liaise with the chief magistrates in their areas to draw clear programmes for the smooth swearing-in ceremonies of the office bearers.

According to Siu, the judiciary plays a crucial role in the swearing-in of the various office bearers, including the chairperson and members of the executive committee.

She noted that section 11 (8) of the Local Government Act further mandates the Chief Magistrate to preside over the

election of the speaker of the district council.

“This is to remind you that the swearing-in of the in-coming District Executive Committees in your respective jurisdictions must be conducted within seven (7) days from May 12, 2021,"said Siu.

She explained that this is in accordance with Section 169 of the Local Government Act, Cap 243. Please ensure that the exercise is completed by May 19, 2021.

The judiciary currently has only 58 chief magistrates to perform the functions in all the 146 districts of Uganda, which means some chief magistrates will handle more than four districts.