Bukoba mayor resigns over dubious contracts

By The guardian reporter

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

Mayor of Bukoba municipality Col. (rtd) Anatory Amani has resigned his position following a dispute that existed between him and municipal councilors accusing him of signing bogus contracts.

The long-standing dispute forced the Controller and Auditor General Ludovick Utuoh to carry out special auditing and determined the presence of irregularity in some of the contracts.

After the completion of investigation, he identified that there were most controversial deals implemented in various projects within the municipality, upon which Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda asked the mayor to resign for the benefit of citizens.

Announcing his resignation, the mayor who is also councilor of Kagondo ward agreed to a government directive given by the PM to resign voluntarily before councilors moved a ‘no confidence’ vote.

The PMO statement was delivered by the deputy minister for Regional Administration and Local Governments, Aggrey Mwanri at a meeting organized to receive the CAG report upon which he would make the government position clear.

The deputy minister said that due to those allegations, the former director of Bukoba municipality who currently was shifted to Momba district in Mbeya region, Khamis Kaputa would be stripped of his position.

Premier Pinda also ordered that heads of three departments of the municipality, Engineer Steven Nzihirwa, head of the procurement unit Baraka Marwa and municipal treasurer Amduni Romi to be stripped of their posts as well.

However, he issued a directive that in seven days the municipal administration should have reviewed the CAG report and respond to details to the PMO-LARG permanent secretary.

Before the government directive, CAG Utuoh presented the report distinguishing the existence of agreements signed by the municipality under Amani’s direction which violated procedures of using public funds, including refusing to present the accords for discussion in councilors’ meetings.

Utuoh said that the contracts brought a crisis that caused huge losses to the municipality including loss of revenue of more than Sh256.2 million during the financial years 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 which were supposed to be obtained from duties of the Bukoba main market.

Some of the contracts that were signed illegally and identified by the CAG include the construction of a new market, building an investment center, construction of as bus stand at Kyakailabwa area and bidding to collect dues in the main bus stand, as well as land mapping.

The premier requested the CAG to review the auditing process in Bukoba due to misunderstandings that led to disunity, with councilors meetings being suspended.

  

Earlier, the Kagera regional commissioner Col. (rtd) Fabian Masawe said the dispute had lasted for one year so he asked municipality councilors to receive the CAG report and accept the government directive for the own benefit and Bukoba residents as well.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN