Court blocks KCCA from terminating UTODA contract

Oct 26, 2011

THE High Court in Kampala has granted UTODA a temporary order restraining the KCCA from taking over management of city taxi parks.

By Taddeo Bwambale and Ondante Okanya

THE High Court in Kampala has granted the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) a temporary order restraining the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) from taking over management of city taxi parks.


Court deputy registrar, Isaac Muwata granted the order on Wednesday, pending the hearing of the main case on December 5.
 
UTODA will be seeking a judicial review over the planned move by KCCA to take over the management of New and Old Taxi Parks.
 
UTODA’s contract has been a subject of dispute since it emerged earlier this year that its contract was extended for three years to October 31, 2014, in the middle of another extension. The formal contract ended on October 31, 2010, but was extended twice. 
 
Lawyers representing KCCA had argued that the extensions to UTODA’s contracts were ‘unlawful, illegal and irregular.’
Muwata maintained that KCCA would have the opportunity to challenge the application when hearing of the case starts. 
 
The drivers’ body has been at the helm of the taxi business since 1993 when it signed its first contract with the then Kampala City Council. 
 
The court battle stems from a memo written by the Kampala CEO, Jennifer Musisi dated June 7, 2011, in which she said UTODA’s contract was expiring on October 31. She also revealed that KCCA would start managing the taxi parks and collecting revenue from them on November 1. 
 
KCCA spokesperson, Peter Kaujju declined to comment on the matter since it was before court, but said the Authority would pursue the matter. 
 

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