Gulu District Vice Chairman, Makmot Kitara has come under threat of censure.
Gulu district councillors want Makmot censured based on his pronouncement on the fate of internally displaced persons in Gulu.
The councillors led by Jamisco Richard Akena, councilor for Awach Sub County, claim that Makmot said that internally displaced persons (IDPs) still in camps will be forcefully evicted if they do not voluntarily return home to prepare for next planting season.
In May, Makmot allegedly said that council had resolved that all IDP's should have left the camps by December 31st. Akena says some land owners are already forcing IDPs out of their land a head of the December deadline.
But the councillors claim that this was an individual pronouncement
Oola Patrick Lumumba, the district deputy speaker, says the pronouncement by Makmot Kitara sparked off panic and incited violence among the people. He says Kitara violated the IDP policy which calls for the voluntary return and not forceful eviction of the IDPs.
The councillors want Makmot Kiatara to withdraw his pronouncement and apologize to the council and the IDPs.
But, Makmot has denied any wrong doing. He explains that his pronouncement was based on the IDP resettlement program. He says the district authorities want all IDPs back in their homes.
Kitara also denied making an individual pronouncement arguing that section 13 of the local government Act gives him the mandate as the district chairperson to make healthy public pronouncement.
He says that he is neither ready to withdraw the pronouncement nor to apologize to anybody.
