Kabale District LC5 Chairperson Denis Nzeirwe Ndyomugyenyi and newly elected district councillors were sworn into office on Monday during a ceremony held at the Kabale District headquarters grounds.
The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by Kabale Chief Magistrate Derrick Byamugisha, who administered the oath of office to the district leaders.
Following the ceremony, councillors convened in the district council hall to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
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Flavia Nyinakiiza Kanagyizi was elected Speaker of Kabale District Council after securing 21 votes, defeating her rival Turyamureeba, who obtained 14 votes. One councillor abstained.
Tom Ahimbisibwe Nkazemera was elected Deputy Speaker after defeating Hilary Ahimbisibwe, councillor for Southern Division, in a closely contested vote of 19-16.
Chief Magistrate Byamugisha later declared Nyinakiiza the duly elected Speaker of Kabale District Council.
In his inaugural remarks, Nzeirwe pledged to prioritise the fight against corruption, which he said continues to undermine service delivery and development in the district.
He said corruption was draining public resources that should otherwise be used for essential services such as road maintenance and agricultural extension support.
"Every coin lost through corruption denies citizens essential services such as roads and extension services," Nzeirwe said.
He further warned that his office would not shield any public official implicated by oversight bodies such as the Inspector General of Government or the Auditor General.
"I want to urge councillors to use their authority to serve the people and remember the voters who elected them," he added.
In the recently concluded elections, Nzeirwe won the LC5 chairperson seat with 44,511 votes, representing 60.26% of the total votes cast. His closest challenger, incumbent Nelson Nshangabasheija, garnered 27,586 votes (37.35%).
Stephen Jack Habimana Rupiha received 1,280 votes (1.73%), while Donozio Banga Owomugisha polled 489 votes (0.66%).
Meanwhile, Collins Kahese, elected workers' representative for Kabale Municipality, and Nelson Wakiire, councillor for Central Division, pledged to work towards fulfilling campaign promises and improving service delivery through closer engagement with local communities.
