Residents of Kiboga are unhappy. This week, their district administration announced that it would not hold its annual Independence Day celebrations. The local government says it does not have money for a large celebration and people will have to mark the day in the quietness of their homes.
The announcement angered people who look forward to the celebrations every year to celebrate Uganda's freedom from colonialism and the birth of the nation.
Medi Katende Kalifa, the NRM publicist secretary in Kiboga town council, says the move is unpatriotic. He reasons that since Independence Day is a well known annual celebration, Kiboga local government should have saved and budgeted for it. He demands that it should explain how the lack of money could have gone unnoticed so late.
The chairperson of the Kiboga Taxi Park business community, Elia Ssekandi Mulanzi, wants an investigation into the matter. He says the Inspector General of Government should query the use of the conditional grant sent by the Central Government for national celebrations like Independence Day.
Samuel Mpiima, the Kiboga Chief Administrative Officer, says the matter is out of his control. He however promises that Independence Day in Kiboga will be celebrated two weeks later once funds have been secured.
Mpiima does not say how much money is needed for the function, only that the district is in debt and cannot meet the cost of a large celebration at this time. He claims that every month Kiboga local government pays 11 million shillings to several people and organizations that successfully sued it in court.
The exact nature of the suits is unknown to the public.
The explanation given by the Chief Administrative Officer hasn't assuaged the anger among Kiboga residents.
James Sserunjogi, the Kiboga Resident District Commissioner, says he wasn't consulted on the decision to postpone the celebrations. He says the reasons for the delay are absurd.
