Mary Akol, the newly elected Chairperson of the Bukedea District Local Government, has threatened to resign amidst ongoing arrests of district leaders.
Akol claims that the president’s decision to send the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to probe the area by election has left her with no one to work with to carry out her job.
“Families and the people of Bukedea are looking at me as the reason for their relatives’ arrests; how can I be happy now? I’m not sure what will happen to me,” Akol stated in a phone interview with a local broadcaster.
Following the violence that marred the Bukedea district local government by-election, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni issued an order that resulted in the arrest of Residence District Commissioner (RDC) Wilberforce Tukei, District Police Commander SP Charles Okoto, and other low-ranking officers.
In the letter, the president mentioned reports of physical obstruction that stopped one of the candidates from being nominated, as well as robbing him of almost Ugx160 million.
The newly elected Chairperson said that the suspects’ relatives blamed her entirely for their incarceration.
“Their families are blaming me; they have problems and are unhappy because I contested. I now don’t know what my fate is, and I’m not happy about it,” Akol explained.
Akol states that all this has made her very uncomfortable, and she is considering resigning from her position as district chairperson.