Bukwo LC5 chairperson resigns, says he’s being witch-hunted by ‘Mafias’

BUKWO, UGANDA: Julius Moses Chelimo, the Bukwo District chairperson has resigned from his position saying he can’t serve in the NRM government when he is being witch-hunted and undermined by people who even want him dead.

Mr Chelimo (NRM) who assumed the Chairperson’s office after winning last year’s LC5 elections tendered in his resignation letter dated October 24, 2022, to the district speaker and confirmed he was stepping down from his position with immediate effect.

“Pursuant to Article 14 (A) (a) of the local government act Cap 243, I hereby resign as the district chairperson forthwith, I thank you for the support rendered to me while discharging my duties,” Mr Chelimo wrote to the Speaker without specifying reasons for his decision.

“I hope the incoming chairperson shall give you the council and the people of Bukwo enough support,” he concluded.

The district speaker Ms Melisa Cheptegei confirmed receiving Mr Chelimo’s untimely resignation letter and said the incident took them by shock.

“I can categorically state that the Chairperson (Julius Chelimo) has shockingly notified my office and the other relevant offices that he can not continue serving in his position,” Cheptegei said.

However, In an exclusive interview with the NewVision publication, the embattled Chelimo cried out against intentionally targeted allegations by various forces to undermine and frustrate his term of office.

“I am being man-hunted seriously and my own family and life are in grave danger,” Chelimo said, further adding; “For the safety of my life and family, I have opted to step aside.”

He also attributed his decision to the fact that his electorates deserve a better and more coherent service which he said he could no longer offer.

“I know very well that the people of Bukwo need the best service possible, unfortunately, I cannot give them that while trying to fight for their safety on a daily,” he stated.

To be exact, Chelimo faulted some state agencies such as the Uganda Police for directly working with his political opponents to undermine his term of office.
“It is difficult for me because Police at the very top level seem to be in a syndicate move to trump up baseless charges against me one after the other,” he said.

Chelimo’s resignation comes just a month after Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga in September told the country that the Bukwo LC5 boss was being hunted over defilement.

The LC V chairperson was accused of luring a 16-year-old girl into acts of sexual violence with promises of marrying her and getting her a job in November last year and it is not clear whether the Police are still pursuing the matter.

“We are hunting for the chairman LC5 Bukwo district. He has a lot of power and influence in the district and the Sebei region. We also appeal to the public who can lead us to his arrest to help the police,” Enanga said then.

In defence of the allegations, Chelimo however denied defiling the girl and said he was helping pay her school fees and that the girl was even staying with her boyfriend in the central region.

“The girl they claimed I defiled is a needy girl I was only helping pay tuition for and all I know is that she was at some point staying with a boyfriend in the central region,” Chelimo clarified.

However, Freemark Chesang the Sipi Zonal Police Spokesperson maintained that the defilement issue was only an allegation that they had invited Chelimo to come and respond to.

“Police handle allegations and claims by accusers who think they were offenders in one way or another by the people they reveal to us and that are what we follow up on, not necessarily targeting a particular individual,” Chesang explained.

“In my new position as an ordinary citizen, I have put up a vibrant legal team that will help fight for my rights because I am not ready to allow a few people with selfish intents destroy me and my family through character assassination or any other form,” Chelimo told NewVision’s Silas Omagor.