After being sworn in for a second term, Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja has called on Parliament to increase funding for city operations to improve service delivery and efficiency.
Namayanja, who made history as Masaka City’s first female mayor in 2021, was re-elected to continue serving until 2031.
She urged the Ministry of Local Government to introduce enabling legislation that would grant cities a distinct administrative identity if the government is serious about transforming them into regional development hubs.
According to Namayanja, operating cities under the current local government structure limits their capacity and potential to function effectively on a larger scale. She argued that financing for cities should be enhanced to match their growing responsibilities and development objectives.
She appealed to Parliament to prioritize increased funding not only for Masaka City but for all cities across the country.
Namayanja also noted improvements in local revenue collection despite the city failing to receive all its anticipated budget allocations.
She said Masaka City has established a Revenue Collection Unit and encouraged residents to use the Integrated Revenue Administration System instead of making cash payments to city employees, a move aimed at curbing revenue leakages and corruption.
Voting for Speaker
Three candidates were nominated for the position of city speaker: Achilles Mawanda of the National Unity Platform (NUP), independent candidate Phibby Kyewalyanga, and Haji Jamiru Miwanda of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
During the first round of voting, Miwanda — despite expressing interest in the position — reportedly did not cast a vote for himself, resulting in a tie between Mawanda and Kyewalyanga, who each secured eight votes from the 16 councilors.
Masaka Chief Magistrate Abert Asiimwe, who presided over the exercise, announced that voting would continue until a candidate attained the required 60 percent majority.
In the second round, Mawanda won the race with 10 votes against Kyewalyanga’s six and was subsequently declared the new Speaker of Masaka City Council.
Jesca Sserwadda, the female youth councilor, was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker.
Namayanja also nominated Florence Nabunya as Deputy Mayor, Haji Jamiru Miwanda as Secretary for Finance, Rosette Nansubuga as Secretary for Social Services, and Emmanuel Kafeero as Secretary for Works. All nominees were approved by the council to serve in their respective positions.
