SIMPSON M
A section of councillors at Rukungiri Municipal Council on Monday, December 22, 2025, clashed with the top municipal leadership over the awarding of a new garbage collection contract to N and B Agrifarm Company.
The disagreement arose during the end-of-year council meeting held at Rukungiri Municipal Hall, where several councillors walked out after the Speaker ruled that N and B Agrifarm Company had been awarded the contract. The councillors opposed the decision, alleging that the contract was granted without following due process.
The protesting councillors, led by Kitimba Ward’s Kijukuru Vianny, Rwentondo Ward’s Kenneth Mushabe, and Innocent Rubarondesa, said they could not continue with the council proceedings. They accused the municipal leadership—led by Speaker Constance Tumusiime and Mayor Charles Makulu—of colluding with the Town Clerk and members of the executive to award the contract irregularly.
They further argued that similar procedures had been used in the past to award contracts to previous companies that failed to effectively manage garbage collection, thereby hindering development in the municipality. The councilors also demanded explanations from the Mayor, Speaker, and Town Clerk on how the contract was awarded, saying the responses given during the meeting were unsatisfactory. They accused the leadership of corruption and pledged to seek legal redress.
However, responding to the allegations, Rukungiri Municipal Speaker Constance Tumusiime dismissed the claims, describing them as misleading. She said the contract for garbage collection was awarded in line with established procedures and that councillors had been fully briefed on the terms of engagement with the contractor.
Speaker Tumusiime added that the councilors’ dissatisfaction stemmed from delays in the payment of their allowances, which they were now allegedly disguising as opposition to the garbage collection contract. She urged residents of Rukungiri Municipality not to be misled, calling on them to cooperate with the new service provider. She noted that residents would be charged between 3,000 and 5,000 shillings for garbage collection services.
Rukungiri Municipal Mayor Charles Makulu also defended the process, explaining that the garbage collection policy was approved by Parliament before being forwarded to local governments for implementation. He said the matter was later presented to the council, which identified a service provider in accordance with the policy.
Mayor Makulu maintained that the opposition from some councillors was linked to concerns over delayed allowances, which he said would be paid soon. He urged councillors to remain calm and allow government processes to take their course.
