KISORO:Kisoro district journalists under their umbrella, Kisoro United Journalists Association (KUJA) have said they will not cover news of Kisoro Municipality Council until further notice as they show their dissatisfaction towards an embarrassing dismissal of journalists from council meeting today at Kisoro municipal council hall.
Before the council started, the municipal speaker Nkurunziza Geoffrey told journalists that a journalist who covered last week’s session undressed their plans yet they did not want the public to know what they are planning.
The sitting that was led by speaker Nkurunziza Geoffrey was an extension of last week’s where councilors demanded that the Kisoro Municipal town clerk borrows over 15 million shillings to facilitate their study tour in Jinja before this year ends. Last week councilors said that the town cler should borrow money from money lenders to facilitate their study tour but senior councilors poked holes in the suggestions of the councilors saying an autonomous administrative unit cannot borrow from any money lender who is not recognized by Bank of Uganda
However by the time journalists started taking recordings of the proceedings, Nkurunziza Geoffrey ruled that journalists vacate the municipal council premises and wait for briefing after the council session but they did not brief journalists as the speaker had said.
Nkurunziza made the ruling when the Kisoro Municipal Mayor Ndyana Richard was addressing councilors on the issue concerning money for buying garbage land.
On tip off about the incident, the Kisoro district united journalists’ association chairperson, Ingabire Ivan immediately asked all journalists to shun all municipal proceedings and related functions until the council makes a public apology. He also questioned the trustworthiness of a council proceeding that denies media coverage.
Ingabire advised the Kisoro Municipal councilors to work hand in hand with journalists for the betterment of the people. He noted that journalists are the eyes of the people and should not be taken as enemies of development.
According to community members, councilors fear to work in presence of media in order to satisfy their personal interests at the expense of their voters.
Mr. Kakungu Vallence a resident of Kabaya village in southern division says that councilors need to be transparent and let the public know what they ought to do for their voters.
Meanwhile, other people including Boda Boda Cyclists say that they have lost hopes in Municipal leadership that has failed to provide services to their voters. They called upon municipal leaders to always focus on factors that concern voters like roads which have become impassable during their tenure of leadership.
