KCCA stinking with corruption - report

Jennifer Musisi.

What you need to know:

Corruption. The report by KCCA’s Legal Affairs Committee cites dubious payments, mismanagement of contracts, among other ills.

Kampala.
An internal report into operations of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has cited dubious payments, mismanagement of contracts, arbitrary interdiction of staff and what it termed as “stinking corruption” at the capital city.

The report by KCCA’s Legal Affairs Committee, points to a Contracts Committee that is a “no-go area”, which is “exclusively” answerable to the KCCA executive director, Ms Jennifer Musisi. The committee also demanded answers on how much it cost KCCA to finance the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire tribunal, which recommended the impeachment of the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, last year.

Yesterday, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister for Kampala, to whom the July 12 report is addressed, declined to comment on it, saying he was up country and had not seen the document. Ms Musisi’s phone was picked by an assistant, who said the KCCA executive director was leaving office and could not comment.

Queries are also raised about the proposed deal to purchase Usafi Market in downtown Kampala at Shs34 billion, a transaction the committee revealed is “about to be sealed in darkness”. The committee report said the deal has triggered controversy as KCCA leased out that very piece of land at Shs100 million three years ago.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Mr Peter Kauju, the KCCA spokesman insisted the Usafi deal went through the requisite procedures.
“We have gone through all the procedures provided by the PPDA Act. The interest to buy Usafi Market is one of the measures we are putting in place to clear the problems of working in the city,” Mr Kauju said, but declined to comment on the other issues raised by the report.

The report also raises queries over a proposal to pay Shs2.5 billion and Shs200 million to two law firms that had purportedly provided legal services to Kampala City Council (KCC), the predecessor of KCCA.

The report further cited the “unsettled questions surrounding the return of the Lord Mayor or a bye-election, which has gravely cost the Authority”.