Da Dona
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- Dec 16, 2025
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Masindi District leaders have been forced into an early reshuffle after the district vice chairperson was removed from office over failure to meet the minimum academic qualifications required by law.
The decision was announced during an extraordinary district council meeting held on June 11 at the Masindi District headquarters, barely three weeks after the new district executive committee assumed office.
District Chairperson Patrick Wobusobozi told councillors that Vice Chairperson Cleophas Bigirwa had been removed after a verification exercise revealed that he did not possess a Senior Six certificate or its equivalent, a minimum requirement for the position under the Local Governments Act.
According to Wobusobozi, the discrepancy was discovered when members of the executive committee were asked to submit their academic documents for payroll processing and official verification.
"We realized that the former Vice Chairperson did not possess the minimum qualification of a Senior Six certificate as required by law," Wobusobozi told the council. He described the appointment as an oversight that could not be allowed to continue once the irregularity had been detected.
Following Bigirwa's removal, Bright Mugume, the directly elected councillor for Kimengo Sub-county, was appointed the new district vice chairperson and leader of government business. Mugume had previously been serving as secretary for Production and Technical Services.
The reshuffle also affected other members of the executive. Nelda Asaba, councillor for Bwijanga Sub-county and Bulima Town Council, was moved from the Finance docket to Production, while Simon Byaruhanga, councillor for Pakanyi Sub-county, was appointed secretary for Finance and
William Mwambu, the councillor representing persons with disabilities, retained his position as secretary for Social Services.
However, the council meeting was marked by questions over how the oversight occurred in the first place. District Speaker Patrick Tibigambwa demanded an explanation regarding the vetting process that allowed Bigirwa to be appointed and sworn into office before his qualifications were fully verified.
Wobusobozi defended the process, saying both his office and the Chief Administrative Officer had reviewed the available documents at the time. Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Kaija Ruhweza told the council that the academic papers submitted by Bigirwa did not meet the standard required to qualify as the equivalent of Senior Six education.
Bigirwa has since challenged the decision, insisting that he possesses valid qualifications. He argued that he holds an equivalent Senior Four certificate and a certificate in public administration, and questioned why the National Council for Higher Education was not involved in assessing his documents.
"I was appointed and sworn in, and no one raised a red flag. They should have followed the right procedure before removing me," Bigirwa said, adding that he was seeking legal advice because the decision had damaged his reputation.
Daily Monitor UG
