More than 25 newly elected village chairpersons were sworn into office today in Kakiri Town Council, while nine others were left out due to election petitions filed by their opponents.
Kakiri Town Council has a total of 37 villages. Due to the large number of elected leaders, the council resolved to swear in the majority first while arrangements are being made regarding the remaining nine chairpersons.
According to the council, the affected villages cannot remain without leadership indefinitely. However, the fate of the nine chairpersons will be determined after the pending election petitions have been resolved.
The LCIII Chairperson of Kakiri Town Council, Mr. Samuel Ssali, urged the newly sworn-in leaders to remember that they had been elected to serve the people, not to rule over them.
“Serve the People, Not Yourselves” Ssali Warns New Chairpersons
Ssali revealed that during the previous term, there were several cases involving chairpersons accused of misusing official stamps and engaging in land grabbing. He warned the new leaders against engaging in such practices.
He also noted that many chairpersons fail to perform effectively because they do not work closely with their executive committees. He advised the new leaders to cooperate with all members of their village committees and to hold monthly meetings to discuss and address community issues.
Mr. Ssemuju Yasin said that in his ward, which has eight villages, only six chairpersons were approved for swearing-in.
Two villages, including Kasozo Village, were left out as a result of the pending petitions.
One of the affected leaders, Mr. Vincent Matovu, said he was shocked when he arrived for the swearing-in ceremony only to discover that his name was missing from the official list. “I Won With 219 Votes, But My Name Was Removed” Matovu
Matovu claims that he won the election with 219 votes, while his opponent received only three votes.
He said he was issued with the relevant Declaration of Results (DR) forms and was among the gazetted chairpersons. He is now calling upon the office of Mr. Byamukama, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, to intervene and look into the matter.
Matovu said he was unhappy with the decision to leave him out of the swearing-in ceremony.
Kasozo Residents Defend Their Chairman
Residents of Kasozo Village have also expressed disappointment over the failure to swear in their newly elected chairman.
Mr. Bukenya Lawrence, a resident of Kasozo Village, said they voted for their new chairman on July 28, 2026, and that there had never been any dispute regarding his victory.
Ms. Nasamba Victo, another resident of Kasozo, also expressed disappointment over the failure to swear in their elected chairman.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lumu Francis of Katiiti Village, who was re-elected as chairman of Katiiti Village, thanked God and the people who stood with him during what he described as a difficult time.
He said many people had doubted whether he would eventually be sworn in, but he was grateful to have finally taken office.
The Kakiri Town Council leadership says the fate of the remaining nine village chairpersons will be determined after the pending election petitions have been cleared.
Story By Mujasi Siragi Mubajje