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By Amos Tayebwa – Mbarara
A dispute has erupted between the office of the Mbarara City Resident Commissioner (RCC) and Mbarara City Council leaders over the organisation of barazas (public accountability meetings), leaving residents confused and divided.
At the start of this week, both the RCC’s office and the City Council rolled out separate schedules for barazas, each claiming to spearhead accountability drives.
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The lack of coordination caused locals to boycott some meetings, accusing leaders of duplicating efforts and politicising service delivery.
On Monday, September 22, 2025, a City Council baraza at the former Biharwe Division Offices flopped after only five residents showed up. The meeting, convened by the City Town Clerk and Mayor Robert Kakyebezi Mugabe, was suspended indefinitely.
Mayor Kakyebezi blamed the failure on the RCC’s office, which he said had deliberately fixed its meetings on the same dates.
In contrast, the RCC’s team has been holding well-attended gatherings since the week began. Jackline Kankunda, Deputy RCC for Mbarara City North, told locals during a Wednesday meeting at Nyakinengo Ward that the RCC’s office follows presidential guidelines as the chief monitors of government programmes. She argued that her office had moved ahead after City Council leaders delayed.
“We had already communicated our schedule to LC chairpersons and residents. When the City Clerk later came up with another schedule, it clashed with ours. We even invited them to join us, but they chose to go their own way,” said Kankunda.
She added that the RCC’s ward-level approach brings accountability closer to the people, unlike council meetings held at division offices which many rural residents cannot afford to attend.
Locals Speak Out
Some residents have accused City Council leaders of politicising barazas. During the Nyakinengo meeting, Rtd. Maj. Nickson Byamugisha, an LC1 chairperson, criticised the City Council for poor mobilisation and wasting people’s time.
“On Monday they invited us to Biharwe offices, but only five locals turned up. The rest were City Council workers. Why not organise one joint baraza instead of colliding with each other?” he said.
The stalemate has left residents uncertain about which meetings to attend, with some calling for better coordination to avoid duplication and restore trust in the accountability process.
