Musisi, Lukwago, councilors meet

The City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and executive director, Jennifer Musisi, on Friday held a meeting in which the two parties outlined some of the priority issues they should start with in addressing the affairs of Kampala.                                 

In closed meeting which lasted for 30 minutes in the Lord Mayor's office was intended to address affairs of Kampala.  Before the meeting Lukwago handed Musisi documents official council documents.

"We have officially kicked off business at City Hall and we have no time to waste. The new administration of the authority with the technical team met as a way of familiarizing with each other," Lukwago told the press after the meeting.

Some of the contentious issues addressed during the meeting were lack of professional councilors of the  four bodies of KCCA , whom they said were elected illegally and this  is likely to hinder councilors from holding councilor meeting  as they are in court.

The professional bodies of the lawyers dragged KCCA to court claiming that their term of office, which started in 2013 has not yet expired. 

"We still have an issue in court with the professional bodies, if they have a court order which is valid we shall have no choice but to accept them to retain their office but if they don't have any court order we shall have to throw them out," Lukwago said.

Frank Kanduho representing professional lawyers at KCCA filed a court injunction blocking election of the profession bodies, alleging that their term of office has not elapsed.

In a court order the engineers, Karuma Kagyina formerly representing engineers at KCCA represented by Kanduho and company advocates, alleges that the body should wait for the hearing of the case.

 The case arose on February 10, 2016, when Kanduho filed the petition against the Electoral Commission (EC).  In his petition Kanduho and his lawyer Albert Mukasa assert that he was elected for a five-year term which commenced on November 19, 2013, and expires on November 19, 2018.

 In his affidavit in support, Kanduho demands a pronouncement that his term expires after the mandatory five years, as enshrined in section 76 of the KCCA Act. This according to the KCCA Act may hinder some affairs at the Authority as it will not be fully constituted.

Lukwago said that they have agreed with the technical team the date and time when the first council will be held and when the induction of councilors is expected.

He revealed that on Thursday 16 June, the authority will have its first authority meeting in which he will evoke his powers to appoint the Deputy Lord Mayor who will be elected by the councilors of that date, establish the 10 committees of the authority

In the meeting which was also attended by the newly sworn in authority councilors, Lukwago said that they dissolved that in Mid-July the councilors attend training.

Lukwago said the councilors will have to go through the rules of procedure of the authority and conduct administration of the oath of four authority councilors who did not swear on the 6 June, 2016.

Other issues which the councilors addressed to Musisi were the enumeration and allowances to which Musisi responded that it was a matter which the Kampala Minister will address, referring them to the KCCA Act.