Six LC V councilors in Kitgum district have failed to raise the required signatures to compel their speaker to convene an emergency council session to discuss the controversy over the position of the Chief Administrative Officer.
They are Walter Livingstone Tooroma, the councilor for Town Council, Walter Komakech Oyo of Kitgum Matidi, Charles Peko of Akwang and Ocan Acana Lamola of Amida sub-county.
Others are Filda Abwona Obote, woman representative of Amida sub-county and Margaret Nono, Woman representative of Kitgum town council. The councilors embarked on the collection of signatures to recall the district council after the district executive blocked the appointment of David Kawooya as Kitgum CAO following the interdiction of the substantive CAO over corruption.
However, the councilors have failed to raise the required 8 signatures to recall the house. According to the local government act, the councilors are expected to raise signatures of one third of the council. Kitgum district council is made up of 22 councilors. On Monday, the councilors handed their petition to Geoffrey Oguti, the district council speaker to recall the house but he dismissed it immediately.
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Oguti says that there is no need to convene an emergency council sitting because the normal council will sit next week. But the decision by Oguti to dismiss their petition on technical grounds has not gone down well with the petitioners.
Walter Livingstone Tooroma, the lead petitioner says that issue of bad leadership in Kitgum district has spiraled out of control. He describes councilors who declined to endorse their petition as stooges of the chairperson and district executive.
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Charles Peko, one of the councilors who signed the petition says that they have done their part. He says time will judge the councilors who refused to back the petition for taking the wrong decision. Peko says they have tried their best to bring sanity to the district but their efforts have been futile.
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Councilors who refused to sign the petition have remained tightlipped over the matter. However, sources within the district indicate that many councilors shunned the petition after they were promised positions on the executive. However, there only five post on the district executive.
