Rugunda probes KCCA stalemate

KAMPALA: The Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, has embarked on investigations to ascertain the cause of the continuous power struggle between Kampala Minister Beti Olive Kamya and the political wing at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) headed by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
The impasse, which has crippled service delivery in Kampala, has been ongoing since both parties assumed office in June last year, with both parties accusing each other of incompetence.
Daily Monitor has established that the KCCA political wing met Dr Rugunda on April 13 to report to him how Ms Kamya had allegedly made them irrelevant by refusing to endorse their resolutions that they previously passed in council.
According to sources who attended the meeting, the premier pledged to engage the minister and find out how the current sour relationship between her and the Lord Mayor’s team could be resolved.

“It’s a serious matter which needs to be resolved to avoid a backlog of work in the city. Now that I have heard your complaints, I will engage the minister to get her side of the story so that we can find a long lasting solution to this problem. For the city to develop, all of you must work together,” sources quoted Dr Ruganda as having said.
Sources added that Dr Rugunda also pledged to hold consultations with different stakeholders to get a remedy to KCCA’s ever glaring management battles.
The closed door meeting was chaired by Dr Rugunda, who was flanked by First Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Moses Ali, State minister for Kampala Affairs Benny Namugwanya Bugembe and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms Christine Guwatudde Kintu.
KCCA’s team was headed by the deputy Lord Mayor, Ms Sarah Kanyike, Nakawa Divison MP, who is also the shadow minister for Kampala affairs, Mr Micheal Kabaziguruka and 22 councillors.

Ms Kanyike confirmed the meeting to this newspaper, but declined to delve into details of what transpired, arguing that she would be pre-emptying what she is supposed to put in her report.
The motion to meet Dr Rugunda was moved by Nakawa I councillor Moses Mugisha Okwera during council meeting on March 15.
Council was shocked when KCCA’s acting director of physical planning Moses Atwiine Kanunira, revealed that they had approved Nakivubo Stadium and Park Yard redevelopment plans on the orders of Ms Kamya yet the same process had been blocked by the council.
The councillors accused Ms Kamya of frustrating their work and serving her own interests. They resolved to report her to the Prime Minister, who is her supervisor.
They had resolved that KCCA halts approval of the redevelopment plans until the fate of at least 10,000 vendors, who were evicted from Park Yard Market, was secured.
According to Section 7(1) of the KCCA Act, the authority shall initiate and formulate policies of the institution.

Other issues
Other resolutions which Ms Kamya has allegedly refused to approve include power sharing for division mayors, gazetting some roads for evening street vendors, payment of the Lord Mayor’s salary emoluments, stopping the brutal arrest of street vendors and increase of the KCCA budget.
When the councillors sought audience with the minister last December, she reportedly told them that she was executing her work in line with the law.
Councillors, sources added, asked government to raise their salary from the current net pay of Shs3m to Shs12m.
Sources further revealed that Dr Rugunda assured the KCCA councillors that he would table their demands of the budget increase and salary enhancement before Cabinet for approval.

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