T/A Kuulumda Faces Revolt As Subjects Wants Her Dethroned

Kingsley Juma presenting petition
to  Salima District Commissioner 
(DC) Rodney Simwaka

Peaceful marches were held in Salima district on Monday calling for the dethronement of Traditional Authority (T/A) Kuulunda in the district over nepotism, corrupt tendencies and autocratic leadership.

Hundreds of people from the area of the chief joined the march and issued a 14 days ultimatum for Government to dethrone their T/A through a petition delivered to the district commissioner addressed to the Office of President and Cabinet. The angry villagers have threatened to hold vigils at the district Commissioners office until the demands are met.

In an interview, the interim secretary for taskforce on Kuulunda Reformation Committee, Muhammad Chigomanje among other their petition delivered to Salima DC, Rodney Simwaka, is calling the President to dethrone T/A Kuulunda for her nepotistic and corrupt tendencies.

“In the case of being corrupt, the issue is; whenever there are issues to do with loan scheme, she is not transparent and always make sure that the royal family that is herself and her children and relatives are beneficiaries.” Explains Chigomanje

He went on; “On autocratic leadership, she does all the things alone and runs community affairs as if it is a family affair. Whenever she is in disagreement with her village headmen she resorts in ordering their dethronement and therefore does not believe in dialogue. Now us as members of communities and Chiefs coming from Tawanga, Ndembo and Nawanga, we have decided to petition the Government and settle upon seeing her being dethroned.” Chingomanje 

On his part Kinglsey Juma another demonstrator also executive member of the interim reformation committee, said; “Apart from her corruption and her wrangles with village headmen, another main concern is that she has ill-treated us very much for selling certain community land to Greenbelt Initiative and yet the money she secretly shared with her children’s and relatives. The communities are not happy that the T/A replaced names of rightful beneficiaries with those of her children and relations to get compensation for that land set aside for Green Belt Initiative in our area. So, as members of communities we want Salima District Council to make public names of those who got compensation over land plus the amount.” He said

Salima DC Rodney Simwaka addressing petitioners

He also mentioned that communities are tired with the chiefs involvement in politics, mismanagemnt of Local Development Fund (LDF) which always benefits her relatives and not poor people in her area and that since her elevation as T/A in 1995 she has never initiated any development project in her area.

“We don’t want her anymore we are tired of her poor style of leadership” said Kingsley further warning that this path taken by communities is admonition for the future chief that we will not tolerate bad leadership” he said further distancing the matter from sheer envy to take up the chieftainship.