NCDF General Assembly impeach relentless Tumuheirwe, ‘Rubz’ to act as interim Board chair

By Dickens Twinomujuni

The General Assembly of Nkuringo Community Development Foundation (NCDF) on Thursday resolved to impeach their Board Chairperson, John Tumuherwe. The GA also resolved that Fidelis Kanyamunyu, the Chairperson of the General Assembly, act as the interim Board Chair.

Kanyamunyu will apparently lead the NCDF Board for two months, before an election to replace Tumuheirwe takes place.

Thursday’s meeting that took place at Nkuringo town council headquarters.

Mr. Tumuheirwe walked out, just after the meeting started, chaired by the General Assembly Chairperson, Fidelis Kanyamunyu, aka Rubz.

The 21-member assembly voted against Tumuheirwe their chairperson out of office at the ratio of 19:2.

The meeting was conducted under heavy security presence, with UPDF officers ready to quell a much-anticipated protest by ommunity members.

Tumuheirwe faces stiff resistance from his board members with less than a year in the office. They accuse him of office mismanagement and colluding with other people to sue the company which he leads.

Thursday’s events follow a closed-door meeting on Wednesday 21 August 2024, chaired by Tumuheirwe. After the meeting, members expressed discontent with him, accusing him of undermining them and office mismanagement.

Barishesha Fabiano, one of NCDF founder members accused Tumuheirwe of using the Company’s funds to arraign the same company in court.

Ndagijimana Samuel, the Chairperson Kikobero trading center regretted that NCDF is no longer implementing projects that benefit the community.

“Some time back, we would receive sheep, goats, pigs, cows and other things from NCDF, but the current Chairperson is only running to court. We no longer benefit from this Fund, and now, all we hear is that he is in court.” Said Ndagijimana.

Burasiyo Nuwagaba, another member regrets that the Fund has been involved in many court battles, reducing its productivity to the community.

“We are still putting things in order, we don’t need court cases now. The cases we have are already enough. And you can imagine he went to court without consulting us as his committee.’ Said Nuwagaba.

After Wednesday’s meeting, Mr Tumuheirwe refused to comment, stating, ‘if you want to ask me stuff concerning NCDF, you wait I will come to you. I don’t simply talk about Company affairs on air.’

It is said that Tumuheirwe petitioned court demanding a declaration that all community members in the Town Councils of Nkuringo and Rubuguri obtain membership of NCDF, and get rights to participate in elections.

On Thursday, NCDF General Assembly chairperson Fidelis Kanyamunyu, accused the embattled chairperson of ‘colluding with a group of people’ to institute legal challenges against NCDF.

“We take resolutions but they are never implemented. Nothing has been done since his term started. We had agreed as General Assembly that we no longer want to be engaged in legal battles, but he has run to court. He claims he wants members of the community to attain NCDF membership, but we are not against that. We are only waiting for the right time.”

Tumuheirwe responds

But Tumuheirwe claims he went to court to fight against injustice.

“I am fighting for the rights of the community members. They should be members of the Fund, and I am talking about the over 4,000 people living in Nkuringo and Rubuguri Town Councils.”

Tumuheirwe accused the 21 founder members of the Fund of wanting to own the Company, and ‘kicking off’ the community.

“These 21 founder members posture as the only owners of NCDF. Imagine even me as the Board Chairperson, I am not considered among the members of NCDF because I am not among the founder members.” Wondered Tumuheirwe.

Before the election where Tumuheirwe John beat his only opponent, Baganda Robert by 12 votes to 9 to become the chairperson, there was controversy over whether communities of Nkuringo and Rubuguri would participate in the vote.

However, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), guided that only the 21 founder members elect the Chairperson.

Tumuheirwe now says he will push further for the courts to decide the fate of the community’s membership, who are the ‘rightful owners’ of the company, but ‘the right is being stolen from them’.

“I will not sit until the community of Nkuringo and Rubuguri attain membership of NCDF. These people have membership cards, but they are powerless.”

According to the embattled Chairperson, he went to court after a resolution of the board meeting recommended the same.

“Going to court was not my personal decision. I have minutes of the board meeting to petition court. I want to have a radio show where I will explain everything. My only crime is fighting for the community.” Tumuheirwe retorted.

NCDF, also sometimes refered to as NCCDF, was established in 2000 and incorporated in 2004 as a company limited by guarantee.

NCDF’s membership constitutes of all adults born and living in Nkuringo and Rubuguri Town Councils of Kisoro District at the most southern tip of South-Western Uganda in the fringes of Southern Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), the (Nkuringo Sector).

NCDF is one of the biggest organizations in Kisoro that supports communities bordering Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas.

It also manages high end hotel for tourists called Clouds and offers scholarships to students in the community as a way of preventing human wildlife conflict in the area.