The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | John Kennedy Wasikye, the Deputy Culture Minister in the Inzu Ya Masaba has dragged government to court for excluding Mbale municipality from the list of the approved cities that are to become operational in July 2020.
Those approved are Fort Portal, Mbarara, Jinja, Gulu and Arua municipalities. This was part of the May, 20th, 2019 Cabinet resolutions. Cabinet resolved to create nine cities in a phased manner starting with five effective July 1st 2020.
Hoima and Mbale municipalities were deferred until July 1st, 2021 due to budgetary constraints, according to the Local Government Minister, Tom Butime.
The decision to defer the elevation of Mbale municipality to a city status hasn’t gone down well with people there.
As a result, John Kennedy Wasikye has run to court seeking for a declaration that the cabinet resolution is illegal.
Through his lawyer, Anthony Wameli, Wasikye says the resolution by cabinet is unfair and unjustified since it contravenes the Constitutional provision for balanced Regional Development.
Wasikye further wants High Court to quash the cabinet decision excluding Mbale municipality from elevation to a city status starting next year.
He also wants court to issue orders prohibiting the cabinet, Local government Ministry and any other government departments or agencies from implementing the May, 20th cabinet resolution until ‘Mbale City’ is included on the list of approved cities that are to become operational effective July, 1st, 2020.
He notes that Mbale is long overdue for elevation from a Municipality to City Status.
According to Wasikye, there was no justification for cabinet to defer the operationalization of Mbale city to 2021.
He says the cabinet decision defeats the desired principle of balanced growth and places the people of Eastern Region generally and Bugisu sub region specifically at a disadvantage compared to other regions in the country. The matter hasn’t been fixed for hearing.
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