Herman Ssentongo, the Incumbent LC5 chairman for Sembabule has been implicated in an embezzlement scam.
Ssentongo is accused of embezzling 50 million shillings.
The money was meant for payments to contractors who were given the tender to construct Nsangala primary school located in Mateete Sub County in Sembabule district.
Sembabule district contracted Banakalooli brothers construct these classroom blocks to address the surging number of pupils under the Universal Primary Education program. The construction was done at the cost of 10million shillings.
In 2007, Banakalooli Brothers and Construction Company completed the construction of four classroom blocks at Nsangala primary school under the School Facilitation Grant, SFG, but were never paid.
The Banakalooli brothers, who were armed with a court order, are demanding for 51million shillings.
On Monday, Court blockers turned up at the school and placed all the blocks under lock, on grounds that their client was never paid. They also threatened to sell the school, to recover their money.
More than 200 pupils were left stranded.
But On Wednesday, district leaders led by Sembabule RDC, Kamala Bayeye, the District Education Officer, Fulgensio Bukomwa, forcefully opened the school, to pave way for the opening of the new school year.
This has however sparked off further protests by the Banakalooli Brothers.
Christopher Maguunda, the Banakalooli brothers engineer, is accusing Herman Ssentongo, the Sembabule LC5 Chairman and the late Robert Twesigye, the former CAO of embezzling the funds meant to pay them.
Maguunda claims that he has evidence to pin Ssentongo, because the district council approved his payments and ordered Ssentongo, who is also the chairman district executive, to sign documents approving the payments but he refused to give them these documents.
According to Maguunda, Ssentongo was summoned for a crisis meeting to answer quarries arising from the missing monies, but he never turned up. Maguunda argues that the refusal by Ssentongo to appear and explain his involvement in this scam means he is one of those who embezzled these funds.
Maguunda is also threatening to take bull Dozers at the school to raze down the buildings and start constructing shops.
But Herman Ssentongo has refused to comment. He told URN of phone that he could not discuss that matter, because he was still very busy occupied with campaigns in Lwemiyaga. He however promised to convene a news conference to state his position.
Teachers and pupils of Nsangala primary school are however worried.
Hillary Turyazayo, the school headmaster, says teachers are insecure and unable to concentrate, for fear that the Banakaloli brothers could turn up anytime to raze down the buildings.
Turyanzayo, acknowledges the construction work done by Banakalooli, but wonders why the district failed to pay them yet Government released the funds.
The school authorities have in the meantime, asked Sam Kuteesa, the Foreign Affairs Minister who is also their area Member of Parliament to intervene and pay up the brothers.
Kuteesa has not yet responded to the school's request.
