Kabarole, Fort Portal PWDs Clash over Ownership of KADIPU Building
By Musa Polite
17th Sept 2022
A fight has broken out in Kabarole district between the leadership of the people living with disabilities in the district and a section of members of the disabled union over the ownership and accountability of “Kabarole Disabled people’s Union” building located in Fort portal central division.
The concern came up after complaints from a section of members of the union who are deaf and blind demanded for accountability for the premises that were rented out by the leadership of the union.
The disabled accuse the Fort portal representatives of the disabled people in council of conniving with the chairperson of the disabled in Kabarole Emex Byaruhanga whose contract they claim ended long ago, of mismanaging the funds from the premise rent and also mooting a move to fraudulently acquire the “Kabarole disabled people’s union” building.
Frank Rwiragira the council representing PWDs at Kabarole district said the matter had been forwarded to the district chairman for further action but no results were achieved after the involved persons refused to turn up for the meeting that was convened by the district chairman.
Rwiragira says the building was rented out to various business people however the dividends are not helping the PWDs and whereas the building management is under the current chairman of the union Mr. Byaruhanga, no audit report has ever been done in the last three years to understand the operations of the building particularly finance.
Rwiragira accuses the Fort portal city councilors representing the disabled at the city level Ms. Rosemary Kaboona and Patrick Tungo together with the current leadership of the people leaving with disabilities of profiteering from the premise yet it belongs to Kabarole district.
It was against this background the Kabarole district representatives of the disabled led by Frank Rwiragiira, Topista Mugisa and thirty others petitioned the Minister of state for local government to intervene in the matter.
The city female representative of the disabled has however denied any involvement saying she’s not holding any position in the management of the KADIPU building since the union has well-established members and a reputable structure with a chairman who oversees the operations of the building.
Kaboona says whereas it’s true she served for eight years as chairperson of the union before joining active politics it doesn’t render her knowledge to understand how the building is being run today.
According to her, a section of opportunists are trying to tarnish her name because she stood by the rules to protect the structure of the union from being owned by one entity which is Kabarole district yet it was established to support the disabled people across the region.
She added that the woos over the ownership and accountability of the building have since been notified to the National Union of People with Disabilities of Uganda (NODIPU)and their pending resolution.
Richard Rwabuhinga the Kabarole district chairperson said he guided that the matters be referred to NUDIPU who are directly in charge of the people with disabilities at the national level to have issues solved and a petition was henceforth forwarded.
Easter Kyoziira the chief executive officer of NODIPU could not be found for a comment as her known mobile phones could not go through.
The building had been established under the ADP –ACTION DISABILITY PROGRAM in 1999 being funded by the European Union, the sole purpose was to establish a skilling training Centre for PWDs which would also act as space for congregational activities.
However, when the donors pulled out the need to secure funds for electricity bills, water and maintenance set in prompting the union to rent out the space to raise funds for maintenance.