Masaka Municipal councilors are blaming what they call corruption in the office of the Town Clerk for the failure to implement the budget estimates for 2011/2012 financial year.
Last year, Masaka Municipality approved 7.2 billion shillings for the 2011/2012 financial year. A big percentage of this money was to be spent on road renovation, procurement of dumping site land, paying salaries and construction of classroom blocks and toilet facilities at seven primary schools under the Universal Primary Education (UPE).
But of the 7.2 billion shillings, 1.5 billion was to be generated locally through trading licenses, hotel tax, and street parking among other local revenue sources. The remaining 5.6 billion shillings was to come from the Central Government.
Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo, the Masaka Mayor who is also the Municipal Finance Secretary, says although the Municipality received four billion shillings out of the 7.2 billion shillings expected, the money has not been fully used to implement the 2011/2012 budget.
Kayemba claims that only 20% of the budget estimates has been achieved with majority of the budgeted projects remaining untouched. He mentions at least six roads works as some of the stalled projects. They include Edward Avenue, Buddu Street, Nulu Road, and Elgin Street among others. He claims that the Town Clerk, Johnson Baryatuma Munono, has refused to implement the development of Mayor’s Gardens and expansion of Lorry Park despite the fact that council approved funds for these projects.
Kayemba alleges that Baryantuma is conniving with members of the Municipal contracts committees and permanent secretaries in both Local Government and Public Service ministries to stifle development of Masaka town.
// Cue in: “In such circumstances……
Cue out:…….the only solution now.”//
Dan Mulondo, the Kimanya- Kyabakuza division councilor, says if the town clerk does not submit his annual expenditure report with explanations, he will mobilize fellow councilors to block the approval of 2012/2013 budget estimates.
But Baryantuma dismisses corruption allegations against him as baseless. He blames the failure to implement some of the council resolutions on funding shortfalls.
Baryantuma also claims that he has already procured a plot of land in the municipality to construct a modern dumping site, but refuses to disclose where the land is located and how much was spent to buy it.
Since this year began, Baryantuma has been under pressure to resign due to poor service delivery. Recently, residents staged a series of public protests against him for failure to release funds to manage garbage.
