Who will be the first Kampala executive director?
Mar 17, 2011
A day before the city mayoral polls, that saw Erias Lukwago elected as the Lord Mayor of Kampala City, President Yoweri Museveni said he had appointed an executive director who would work hand-in-hand with the mayor in managing the city.
By John Ssemakula
A day before the city mayoral polls, that saw Erias Lukwago elected as the Lord Mayor of Kampala City, President Yoweri Museveni said he had appointed an executive director who would work hand-in-hand with the mayor in managing the city.
There is speculation that the executive director appointed is a woman. Although the President did not name the appointee, Museveni referred to the person as ‘her’.
To be appointed as the executive director, the person is expected to have substantial experience and qualifications in public management.
Among the possible choices is former Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs, Jennifer Musisi. She is seen as one of the top contenders for the job. She retired from URA recently after 10 years of dedicated service.
She is said to have made a mark in the tax authority as an incorruptible officer, an attribute that earned her respect from her workmates and clients. Now in private business, Musisi is credited with being part of the team that spearheaded the reform of URA in 2005.
Another figure is Janat Balunzi Mukwaya, a senior cadre of NRM. The Mukono South Member of Parliament and general duties minister has held several senior ministerial posts in the NRM government.
She holds a masters degree in public policy and management from London University and a Bachelors of Political Science from Makerere University. She has never been involved in any corruption scandal and is retiring from elective politics.
Margaret Nantongo Zziwa is the other woman with potential to occupy the seat. She is an East African Legislative Assembly delegate for Uganda. She is former Woman MP for Kampala district before losing to Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) Nabila Nagayi Sempala in the 2006 and in the recent parliamentary elections. However, she has remained popular in the NRM camp.
Beti Olive Kamya is the other choice. She is the leader of the Uganda Federal Alliance. She contested in the 2011 presidential race and although she lost, Kamya is a kingmaker especially in Buganda. She has several good ideas that if she is appointed the executive director of Kampala and she accepts, she can transform the city. However, it is unlikely that Museveni will appoint a person who is not loyal to NRM for the seat.
Another potential contender for the seat is Hope Mwesigye, the Agriculture Minister. She is a staunch NRM party supporter and the current woman MP for Kabale district. She is also a law graduate of Makerere University and held several senior positions before joining active politics in 2001.
Florence Mugasha, the former deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, also features on the speculation list.
She was the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet in the Office of the President from 1996 to 2002. She has had a distinguished career in the Ugandan Public Service commencing in 1972, rising to the rank of permanent secretary in 1990 and eventually being appointed in 1996 to the most senior public service position, a position she held for over five years.
Sources say the executive director could be named this weekend. The Kampala Capital City Act (2009) mandates the President to appoint the executive director.
A day before the city mayoral polls, that saw Erias Lukwago elected as the Lord Mayor of Kampala City, President Yoweri Museveni said he had appointed an executive director who would work hand-in-hand with the mayor in managing the city.
There is speculation that the executive director appointed is a woman. Although the President did not name the appointee, Museveni referred to the person as ‘her’.
To be appointed as the executive director, the person is expected to have substantial experience and qualifications in public management.
Among the possible choices is former Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs, Jennifer Musisi. She is seen as one of the top contenders for the job. She retired from URA recently after 10 years of dedicated service.
She is said to have made a mark in the tax authority as an incorruptible officer, an attribute that earned her respect from her workmates and clients. Now in private business, Musisi is credited with being part of the team that spearheaded the reform of URA in 2005.
Another figure is Janat Balunzi Mukwaya, a senior cadre of NRM. The Mukono South Member of Parliament and general duties minister has held several senior ministerial posts in the NRM government.
She holds a masters degree in public policy and management from London University and a Bachelors of Political Science from Makerere University. She has never been involved in any corruption scandal and is retiring from elective politics.
Margaret Nantongo Zziwa is the other woman with potential to occupy the seat. She is an East African Legislative Assembly delegate for Uganda. She is former Woman MP for Kampala district before losing to Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) Nabila Nagayi Sempala in the 2006 and in the recent parliamentary elections. However, she has remained popular in the NRM camp.
Beti Olive Kamya is the other choice. She is the leader of the Uganda Federal Alliance. She contested in the 2011 presidential race and although she lost, Kamya is a kingmaker especially in Buganda. She has several good ideas that if she is appointed the executive director of Kampala and she accepts, she can transform the city. However, it is unlikely that Museveni will appoint a person who is not loyal to NRM for the seat.
Another potential contender for the seat is Hope Mwesigye, the Agriculture Minister. She is a staunch NRM party supporter and the current woman MP for Kabale district. She is also a law graduate of Makerere University and held several senior positions before joining active politics in 2001.
Florence Mugasha, the former deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, also features on the speculation list.
She was the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet in the Office of the President from 1996 to 2002. She has had a distinguished career in the Ugandan Public Service commencing in 1972, rising to the rank of permanent secretary in 1990 and eventually being appointed in 1996 to the most senior public service position, a position she held for over five years.
Sources say the executive director could be named this weekend. The Kampala Capital City Act (2009) mandates the President to appoint the executive director.