On Monday, Kampala High Court Civil Division Judge Musa Sekana temporarily suspended all activities of the new leadership of the National Trade Union Organization (NOTU) leadership until the lawsuits filed against it were resolved. stopped.
During a General Council meeting at the Hotel Africana in Kampala on November 15, 2022, NOTU President Asher Wilson Owale dragged NOTU and six others out of office for suspension.
The six include Christopher Peter Werike, Stephen Mugor, Richard Bigirwa, Mauk Moses (Treasurer), Badal Barbara (Deputy Treasury Secretary) and Amity Thom (Deputy Secretary General).
Owere was voted out for failing to manage the three council meetings organized to resolve emerging leadership issues at NOTU.
The council appointed Stephen Mugor, then vice-chairman, as acting chairman. The council also appointed Richard Bigirwa, general secretary of the Uganda Bottling Bakers, Millers and United Trade Unions, as NOTU’s acting secretary general to replace Hong. Peter Christopher Werikhe who resigned after participating in politics as a Member of Parliament for Bubulu West.
Judge Ssekaana said that as long as the suspension could be in line with the NOTU constitution, further actions and activities would be pursued by NOTU and the newly appointed leadership until the major lawsuits brought by Owere were dealt with. ruled that it should not.
Sekana also warned that if the newly appointed leaders proceeded with any actions before the case was resolved, they would personally carry their own crosses.
“I order everything to stop for now until this case is closed.
He said he received Owere’s petition on November 6, 2022.
“I would have canceled that council meeting, but mindful of costs, hotel reservations they may have made, and set January 23, 2023 as the date of the hearing,” he said. Told.
Owere’s attorney, Okello Peter Jabweli, addressed the press after the court hearing and Owere said the defendant’s actions in seeking to remove/suspend him as chairman were against the NOTU constitution in the law (trade union law). violated and he was denied a fair hearing.
“Having established the status quo that plaintiff Owere has been suspended and referred to a disciplinary committee, the Court will take no further action against him pending final determination of this action. I ordered you.”
This means that anyone who attempts to take further action against Owere will be acting in breach of order and in contempt of court, and there will be sanctions for such actions.