Dr. Chris Baryomunsi the State Minister for Housing.

Kanungu leaders demand for a speedy investigations into a tea scandal following the minister of state for housing, Dr.Chris  Baryomunsi petitioning  the Inspector General of Government (IGG) calling for an investigation into activities of Kinkizi Development Company that was recently contracted by government to  promote tea growing in the district.

This comes as a section of members of the tea nursery association in Kanungu have raised complaints saying that about two years ago, they were coerced to make a contribution of 70 Uganda shillings per seedling supplied and that funds then accumulated to a tune of 1.3 billion Uganda shillings and part of it was meant to support the district to put up an administration block.

The leaders who include the Chairperson of Kanungu district, Josephine Kasya, the MP for Kinkizi West, James Kaberuka while speaking to journalists in Kampala said that they are not opposed to the investigations into the case but rather that the matter be handled quickly to avoid the delay of paying tea farmers their money owed to them by Kinkizi Development Tea Company.

She also asked leaders from Kanungu district to stop fueling this conflict between tea farmers and leaders under Kinkizi Development Tea Company.

The chairperson of Tea nursery bed operators South western Uganda, Frank Byaruhanga accused area MPs who include; Chris Baryomunsi, Elizabeth Kalungi and James Kaberuka of neglecting the area and that they sometimes takes decisions that impact negatively to the local people in Kanungu.

The MP for Kinkizi West, James Kaberuka warned leaders in Kanungu against mixing politics with development so that the people in the area can alleviate poverty.

He says that the farmers in Kanungu should be calm and abandon the promised demonstration until the Prime Minister, Dr.Ruhakana Rugunda meets all the tea stake holders to iron out the problems.

However, the minister  of state for housing, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who was blamed by tea farmers to have rushed to report the  matter to IGG says he as an MP  from the district only received a complaint from his constituents and reacted accordingly by referring the complaint to the IGG.

He advised them to wait for IGGs report and not to panic if they have done their work accordingly.