What was supposed to be a normal council sitting for councilors to deliberate on topical issues surrounding service delivery on Friday 23rd October 2026 could not take off as councilors who nearly exchanged blows engaged in verbal artillery, turning the hallowed chambers into a shameful spectacle and exposing the deep political rot that has eaten up Jinja District Local Government.
From as early as 2pm, Busoga Square was buzzing with anticipation, tension and intrigue. Councilors arrived in small hostile groups, whispering in corridors, forming cliques and plotting, while journalists, bloggers and the new breed of tiktokers with all brands of smartphones camped at the gate, sensing that another political explosion was imminent. And indeed, it exploded with fury.
The haggling fire exploded just seconds after Speaker Simon Kibombo, adorned in his flowing black gown and powdered wig, the very symbols of legislative authority, impartiality, institutional dignity and supposed neutrality, ordered two councilors, Joseph Ikoona who represents Namagera Town Council and doubles as the District Vice Chairman and Sharif Pepe of Buwenge Town Council, to immediately get out of the chambers.
Kibombo declared that the two councilors were suspended for two consecutive sittings effective from the last council meeting and that they were in the chambers as strangers, illegal occupants and contemptuous of the chair. He said their presence was a gross violation of the Rules of Procedure and an insult to the sanctity of council that must be punished.
Before he could even finish his remarks, the already charged Ikoona shot back, vowing to stay put and insisting that he was legally in the right place and time to ably and effectively represent his people of Namagera Town Council who overwhelmingly elected him and who are currently demanding for roads, health centres, parish development model funds and clean water.
Ikoona argued forcefully that his suspension had already elapsed and that he was back to serve his people after serving his punishment. He said if the Speaker had any doubt, he should consult the Clerk to Council, Madam Faith Kalina, and the Chief Administrative Officer Emmanuel Wamburu for the official record and the minutes of the previous sittings, which would clearly show that the two sittings had passed and he was therefore legally reinstated.
Kibombo, who did not want to hear any of such legal arguments, simply ordered the Sergeant At Arms, a police woman who looked visibly embarrassed and torn by the order, to forcefully evict the unwanted but smartly dressed councilor and his colleague from the chamber. The order shocked many councilors who felt the Speaker was acting emotionally, vindictively and using police to settle personal political scores rather than enforcing the law.
As the Sergeant of Arms respectfully moved forward, torn between obeying the Speaker and respecting the elected leaders of the people, Ikoona reached into his bag and flashed a copy of the Standard Rules of Procedure booklet for local government councils, a small blue booklet that every councilor is supposed to own, read and master before debating anything.
He particularly quoted Rule 53(1) which is headlined under Order, Decorum and Discipline and read it word by word to the amazement of everyone present, including journalists who were furiously scribbling notes and tiktokers who were streaming live.
For the benefit of the public and for context of this article, the Rule in question says: The speaker may order a member to withdraw from the Council or suspend a member from Council and Committee sessions for a period not exceeding the next two consecutive sittings, if in the opinion of the Speaker the conduct of that member is disorderly, contemptuous or in gross disregard of the Rules of Procedure.
In practice, and as seasoned local government experts explain, the Speaker warns the member under Rule 52 which deals with disorderly conduct. If the member persists, the Speaker invokes Rule 53(1) and orders suspension. The suspension must be recorded in the minutes and communicated to the Clerk to Council and Chief Administrative Officer.
The suspension takes effect immediately from that sitting and the member automatically bounces back after serving the two sittings. There is no need for the Speaker to lift it, reinstate the member or write any letter of recall. The law is self-executing and self-interpreting, not dependent on the Speaker’s feelings.
To avoid the council descending into total chaos amidst the heavy presence of reporters who were outnumbered almost double by tiktokers with all brands of smartphones streaming live on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, Kibombo suspended the meeting for 10 minutes but it resumed after nearly an hour later after intense behind-the-scenes negotiations that failed to yield any compromise, as both sides hardened their positions and refused to blink.
By its resumption, there was almost a dozen armed police personnel backed by the usually fierce-looking and tear-gas happy chaps from the Field Force Unit, deployed in and around the chambers, at the corridors and at the main gate. Their presence turned Busoga Square into what looked like a military barracks rather than a legislative assembly meant for civil debate and democratic deliberation.
Kibombo repeated his earlier order to the two councilors to peacefully get out of the council and in case of resistance, he asked the shy-looking Sergeant At Arms to seek help or backup team commanded by AIP Robert Komakech the OC Operations at CPS Jinja, who was already hovering around the chambers ready to pounce.
Determined and seemingly aware they were on the right side of the law and the Rules of Procedure, the two stayed put, prompting the visibly agitated Moses Batwala to shoot to the Council floor, chest out, telling the police, some who were already at the entrance ready to effect the eviction, to back off and leave council affairs to councilors.
Again, the Council was suspended for five minutes apparently to allow room for more consultations and to defuse tension. After the five minutes, Kibombo returned, face hardened, and simply announced the suspension of the Council UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The declaration sent a wave of disbelief, anger and disappointment across the chambers and the entire district.
This high-handed action angered a section of councilors aligned to Batwala who complained loudly that the action and conduct of Kibombo are directly affecting the residents who badly need service delivery, including the approval of the district budget, road funds under the Uganda Road Fund, PDM accountability, health service monitoring and education oversight.
The pro-Kibombo group, on the other hand, walked out chest thumping, claiming they have managed to ground Buldozer, Batwala’s political title, in the political mud and quickly left the Chambers in celebratory mood, laughing, shaking hands and taking selfies as if service delivery had been achieved.
Kibombo Hits Back: They Are Comedians Seeking Cheap Media And Cheap Politics.
But when contacted to give his side of the story for fairness, balance and professional journalism, Speaker Simon Kibombo hit back hard, accusing the Batwala group of always playing comedy and seeking cheap media and cheap politics at the expense of the institution he leads.
In an exclusive interview shortly after suspending council, Kibombo was furious and did not mince his words. He said the Batwala group lacks knowledge on laws and rules but are very quick to play in the gallery for cameras and to excite the TikTok audience.
“Those people are always playing comedy. They are seeking cheap media attention and cheap politics. They lack knowledge on laws and rules but are very quick to play in the gallery for TikTok cameras. Council is not a comedy hall. Council is governed by Rules of Procedure, not by emotions, shouting and hooliganism,” Kibombo said.
He maintained that Friday’s sitting was not a new sitting but a continuation of the previous council meeting that had been adjourned prematurely before the Order Paper was exhausted because of the same disorderly conduct by Ikoona and Pepe. Therefore, he argued, the two sittings had not yet elapsed and the suspension was still valid and enforceable.
“If they think I am wrong, let them petition the Ministry of Local Government instead of causing chaos and turning council into a wrestling ring. Let them read the Rules instead of playing to the gallery,” he stated.
The equally combative Kibombo also defended his decision to call armed police, saying it was for security and to prevent physical assault on the chair and other members after Batwala’s group charged at the podium in a manner that threatened his life and that of other councilors.
Batwala Responds, Calls Kibombo A Tool And Promises To Petition Ministry And IGG.
However, Batwala the Buldozer quickly held a news conference in his office where he harangued Kibombo for being a tool of the Jinja District Woman MP Hon Peace Tibyaze and for turning council into a personal fiefdom and a political battlefield to fight proxy wars for hidden masters.
Hon Tibyaze who was not around and Batwala are sworn political nemesis since the campaign period when Batwala openly supported his former Speaker Monica Namukose Kamagu who stood for the same Woman MP position as an independent candidate against the NRM flag bearer Tibyaze.
Although campaigns and elections are long over, the political bad blood between Batwala and Tibyaze has not evaporated and continues to trickle down through proxies including councilors, which has grounded service delivery and turned council into a war zone.
Batwala, during the news conference, promised to direct the CAO Emmanuel Wamburu to look for funds to organize an induction training for the councilors, arguing that they, especially the Speaker, seem to be operating more on feelings, emotions and personal grudges than the laws, regulations and rules as enshrined in the Local Government Act and the Standard Rules of Procedure.
Without mincing words, Batwala asked Kibombo to work towards supporting residents to access service delivery, saying Council should not be reduced to cocoons, clique formation and become tools for some politicians who have lost touch with the people and have turned leadership into comedy.
He likened Kibombo to the Middle East conflict where several rebel(terrorist) outfits have been formed, funded and trained to fight proxy wars of some powerful nations and that the ordinary citizens in those areas have borne the brunt while the sponsors sit comfortably far away.
Bringing it closer to home, Batwala said Council should be a place of free discussion based on laws, regulations, rules and policies but not a place where the ones with the loudest voices or hoarse voices take the day.
He also made a passionate appeal to Speaker Simon Kibombo for once to allow councilors opportunity to freely debate as opposed to always using the wig and gown to order: I have suspended you, I have suspended the council, I have over ruled you, tendencies of an illiterate dictator but also a very biased speaker who has abandoned impartiality.
Finally, Batwala made another blunt pronouncement calling upon the Inspector General of Government, Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, and the Ministry of Local Government to urgently intervene in the affairs of Jinja District Local Government. He accuses Kibombo of abuse of office by frustrating government programmes and sabotaging service delivery.
“The IGG and the Ministry must intervene. This is abuse of office, frustrating government programmes and sabotaging service delivery. I will write formally to the IGG Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala and to the Minister of Local Government Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi to come and save Jinja from this chaos,” Batwala vowed.
The IGG, Lady Justice Batala who replaced Beti Olive Namisango Kamya(BONK), in her latest bi-annual performance report to Parliament on 12th October 2026 revealed recovery orders of Shs41.6Bn and has been very tough on abuse of office and political high-handedness.
The Ministry of Local Government is now headed by Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi who replaced Hon. Raphael Magyezi following the cabinet reshuffle of May 26, 2026. Hon. Balaam has been moving across the country preaching unity, reconciliation and service delivery as the cornerstone of local governance.
The Bigger Shame: The Building Itself.
But beyond the political fights, the Friday 23rd October 2026 incident has once again exposed the bigger shame that is Busoga Square. Anyone who has ever stepped inside the Jinja District Council chambers will testify about the floor. The tiles turn up whenever one steps on them.
They lift, crack and wobble dangerously under your feet, posing a serious risk to anyone walking inside. The tiles were put in place when Frederick Ngobi Gume was the chairman of Jinja District, many years ago, and have never been replaced since.
The structure hosting the chambers and the district headquarters is a colonial-era one smelling bats. The stench of bat droppings hits you immediately you enter. The ceiling is stained, the walls are damp, bats hang freely in corners, and the entire building reeks of decay. Yet although it continues to swallow taxpayers’ money in endless face lifts, repainting and cosmetic renovations running into hundreds of millions, the building remains the same old colonial relic, unfit for a modern government.
Ordinarily, the place should be for the city because rural Jinja has its headquarters at Kagoma Town Council. When Jinja was elevated to city status, the law was clear that Jinja District should fully relocate to Kagoma to pave way for the City to occupy Busoga Square. The district adamantly refused. The result is confusion and perpetual conflict.
It is for this reason that some commentators have now asked the Kibombo and Batwala groups to go and make ‘noise’ in the rural side since the City has enough noise from all corners daily with deafening boda-boda hooting, taxi touts and market vendors, and city dwellers are no longer interested in political noise especially endless quarrelling by leaders who were elected to serve them.
As of press time, council remains suspended until further notice, the district budget remains unapproved, and the people of Jinja from Namagera to Buwenge to Kakira continue to wait for service delivery as their leaders fight endless proxy wars inside a bat-infested colonial building with lifting tiles that should have long been handed over to the City while the district operates from Kagoma.
