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Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi could be impeached by his councillors
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By Edson Kinene
Mbarara - Mbarara City councillors have initiated efforts to impeach Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, citing his failure to convene an extraordinary meeting to address critical city issues. This follows a series of unacknowledged letters addressed to the mayor and the city clerk, Assy Abireebe, who is set to transfer to Soroti City. In a letter dated December 23, 2024, seen by Torch Media Africa, the councillors demanded clarification on several key issues, including:
In another letter dated January 12, 2025, the councillors urged the mayor to direct the city town clerk to prepare and present reports addressing their concerns in the extraordinary meeting they have been demanding for over a month. Jessica Mwijuka, the councillor representing workers, expressed fears that the council could lose significant funds under unclear circumstances. Similarly, Byansi Muhammad, representing Nyamityoobora, stated that impeachment was now their only recourse to hold the mayor accountable for undermining their concerns.
The councillors, in their latest letter dated January 15, 2025, demanded the meeting be held before the town clerk, Assy Abireebe Tumwesigire, hands over office. They cited Article 180(2) of the Ugandan Constitution, Part II Section 13 (Emergency Meeting) of the Standard Rules of Procedure, and Section 24 of the Uganda Local Government Act, which empower the mayor, in consultation with the speaker, to call for an extraordinary meeting on urgent matters of public concern.
“You have failed to schedule an extraordinary council meeting as requested in our letter dated January 9, 2025. The city clerk, who was supposed to respond to our concerns from the December 23, 2024 letter, has now been transferred. It is imperative that these issues are addressed before the handover. Otherwise, the responsibility falls on you as the highest supervisor within the council,” the councillors wrote.
The letter further highlighted Sections 29 and 78A of the Uganda Local Government Act, which obligate the mayor to respond to all questions and concerns initially directed to the city clerk.
When contacted, City Council Speaker Bonny Tashobya Karusya urged the councillors to remain calm, assuring them that a council meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday this week to address their concerns.
Mayor Kakyebezi acknowledged receiving the councillors’ letter and stated that he had instructed the city town clerk to organize the extraordinary council meeting. He dismissed the impeachment threats, asserting that no substantial issue warranted such drastic action.
Torch Media Africa
