Fort Portal City Council wants the payment of the ex-Municipal councilors expedited to reduce the number of court cases against the institution.
In 2021 councilors of the then Fort Portal Municipality sued Fort Portal City and the Attorney General for non-payment of their sitting allowances citing breach of contract. In their petition, the councilors said they were elected in 2016 for a five-year term which was to expire in May 2021.
They, however, said that the contract with their voters was terminated prematurely after Fort Portal was elevated to City status effective July 1, 2020.
According to Fort Portal City leadership, the council passed a resolution that all court cases be settled amicably. Among the prioritized cases to be settled outside court through mediation included the matter of the ex-councilors.
Moses Otimong, the Fort Portal City Clerk says though the council resolution was passed to have the matter resolved, the matter is still being discussed by the city legal team and the Solicitor General’s office.
Otimong says whereas the councilors demand sitting allowances there is nothing on record showing that the councilors attended council meetings convened by the speaker and were not paid. Otimong says paying ex-councilors without scrutiny could lead to audit queries.
Gilbert Kayondo the Former Speaker of Fort Portal Municipality says the court had sent the matter for mediation, but the city council declined.
Isaac Singura, from the Solicitor General’s Office in Fort Portal, told URN that the matter is still being studied.
