Analysts express mixed reactions on Mayors, Town Council Chairpersons to Have Advanced Level Certificates

Different Analysts in Kagadi district have expressed mixed reactions on the new proposed bill to impose the minimum education requirements on the mayors, division and Town Council LC 3 chairpersons.

Parliament yesterday proposed to pass the Local Government Amendment Bill, 2019, which requires mayor of Cities, Municipalities, Divisions and Town Council chairpersons to have an advanced level certificate of Education or its equivalent.

The bill was imposed by the Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa who argued the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) to advocate for the introduction of educational requirements on local government leaders to streamline their operations.

However, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, said the requirement of a senior six certificate from Sub county chairpersons is a bit high.    

Several MPs led by the Masindi Woman MP, Jalia Bintu also opposed the proposal asserting that 330 sub counties across the country currently lack a single secondary school, which makes it unfair to require the chairperson to have an A level certificate.

Meanwhile in Kagadi district speaking to KKCR FM, analysts also expressed different views over the same proposal.

According to Katusabe Peter Junior one of the senior analysts, the proposed bill will help the mayors of Cities, Municipalities, Divisions and Town Council chairpersons to monitor government Programs efficiently.

He further said that once the new proposed bill is passed it will help to eliminate ancient system to a modern system in order to meet the Uganda vision of 2040.

However, the Kagadi district ANT-Coordinator (Alliance For National Transformation) Ayebale Kanyarutoke opposed the bill saying that it will be un fair for the mayors of Cities, Municipalities, Divisions and Town Council chairpersons to have equivalent academic documents similar to the President, Members of Parliament, Lc5 chairpersons among other head officials yet they don’t serve the same responsibilities.