Masaka city council struggling to deliver services due to lack of funds

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Masaka city authorities are struggling to deliver services due to lack of funds.

The town clerk John Behangane disclosed to our reporter while responding to concerns of poor service delivery especially via waste management in the city.

It stems from protests of residents in Nyendo, a Masaka city suburb over uncollected heaps of garbage in their area.

According to Behangane, since July when the Masaka was elevated from a municipality to city status, they haven’t been able to access funds to offer services to city dwellers.

He explains that despite securing funds under Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development-USMID project, they can’t utilise the funds without proper guidance from the government.

Behangane says the delay to change their vote from the municipality to city council has affected service delivery.

Godfrey Kayemba, the interim Masaka city mayor says the delay to change their vote has greatly impacted on service delivery in the young city. He says they currently can’t conduct any business since they can’t pay the councillors their allowances.

Sirage Luyima, the Masaka city finance committee chairperson says since July last year, council sittings have been on hold and since then the new city has been struggling to deliver services without funds.

Vincent Kasumba, the chairperson Masaka Development Forum says since the political season set in, all leaders abandoned their responsibilities. He however says that he is hopeful that things will change since the political season is over.

According to Kasumba, he has received several complaints from residents of Nyendo about the heaps of uncollected garbage that is rotting on the streets and their pleas to the authorities haven’t yielded results.

Kasumba has asked locals to conduct community service to keep their areas clean as they wait for the city authorities to come to their rescue.

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