Lukwago, Musisi leadership row worsens
Aug 03, 2011
THE Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has asked Parliament to order the city authority executive director, Jennifer Musisi, to stick to her roles and stop usurping the powers of elected leaders.
By Henry Mukasa
THE Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has asked Parliament to order the city authority executive director, Jennifer Musisi, to stick to her roles and stop usurping the powers of elected leaders.
Appearing before the presidential affairs committee, Lukwago, who was accompanied by mayors of the four divisions and councillors, observed that Musisi had flouted many clauses of the KCCA Act of 2010, creating a paralysis.
Lukwago described the situation at KCCA as “a time bombâ€. He said Musisi awarded tenders without a contracts committee and issued leases without scrutiny.
Lukwago added that the situation had not been helped by the impression being portrayed in the media that he was a ceremonial figure.
“Our work is being bogged down by that picture. That is why the executive director takes unilateral decisions and implements them,†Lukwago told MPs.
He said Musisi was acting in total disregard of section 5 and 6 of KCCA Act.
“As political leaders, we are mandated to make policies, initiate programmes and pass resolutions for technical people led by the executive director to implement. That is the dichotomy which the law created, but unfortunately the role of the authority is being belittled,†Lukwago said.
The Lord Mayor noted that while the law envisages divisions as entities they don not have budgetary provisions. He added that orders from the finance ministry showed that Musisi was the sole controller of finances.
He revealed that on May 2, the permanent secretary at the finance ministry wrote to the accounting officers of divisions, telling them that they had been relieved of their duties.
On vacant positions at KCCA, Lukwago said the minister for Kampala was yet to be introduced to the authority as prescribed by law.
He said the minister would appoint the physical planning committee and determine the emoluments of KCCA leadership.
“We have never been paid since we assumed offices on May 20,†Lukwago said.
He said while the law gave the staff of former KCC the option to join KCCA, no formality had been done.
Lukwago said, instead Musisi moved into the City Hall with a-25-man team of consultants.
The Lord Mayor queried the legal status of the consultants. He handed to the committee, copies of the emoluments of the consultants.
The documents titled, “Transitional Team Allowances†showed that while Musisi received a sh3m salary for May, the figure jumped to sh11m for June.
By the end of June, Musisi’s personal assistant, Patrick Mugenyi, earned sh9m, while her driver, Shakarim Male, took home sh7m.
The gross bill jumped from sh59m in May for 18 officials to sh138m in June, when the number of officials increased by seven.
Muhammed Nsereko, the Kampala Central MP, exclaimed: “This is embezzlement. Money was passed even before Parliament passed vote on the account.â€
“We should take urgent action on corruption,†Jesca Ababiku remarked.
The KCCA communications consultant, Patrick Mugenyi, said the consultants were necessary to “help set up KCCA as an institution that currently has one staff, the executive director.
THE Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has asked Parliament to order the city authority executive director, Jennifer Musisi, to stick to her roles and stop usurping the powers of elected leaders.
Appearing before the presidential affairs committee, Lukwago, who was accompanied by mayors of the four divisions and councillors, observed that Musisi had flouted many clauses of the KCCA Act of 2010, creating a paralysis.
Lukwago described the situation at KCCA as “a time bombâ€. He said Musisi awarded tenders without a contracts committee and issued leases without scrutiny.
Lukwago added that the situation had not been helped by the impression being portrayed in the media that he was a ceremonial figure.
“Our work is being bogged down by that picture. That is why the executive director takes unilateral decisions and implements them,†Lukwago told MPs.
He said Musisi was acting in total disregard of section 5 and 6 of KCCA Act.
“As political leaders, we are mandated to make policies, initiate programmes and pass resolutions for technical people led by the executive director to implement. That is the dichotomy which the law created, but unfortunately the role of the authority is being belittled,†Lukwago said.
The Lord Mayor noted that while the law envisages divisions as entities they don not have budgetary provisions. He added that orders from the finance ministry showed that Musisi was the sole controller of finances.
He revealed that on May 2, the permanent secretary at the finance ministry wrote to the accounting officers of divisions, telling them that they had been relieved of their duties.
On vacant positions at KCCA, Lukwago said the minister for Kampala was yet to be introduced to the authority as prescribed by law.
He said the minister would appoint the physical planning committee and determine the emoluments of KCCA leadership.
“We have never been paid since we assumed offices on May 20,†Lukwago said.
He said while the law gave the staff of former KCC the option to join KCCA, no formality had been done.
Lukwago said, instead Musisi moved into the City Hall with a-25-man team of consultants.
The Lord Mayor queried the legal status of the consultants. He handed to the committee, copies of the emoluments of the consultants.
The documents titled, “Transitional Team Allowances†showed that while Musisi received a sh3m salary for May, the figure jumped to sh11m for June.
By the end of June, Musisi’s personal assistant, Patrick Mugenyi, earned sh9m, while her driver, Shakarim Male, took home sh7m.
The gross bill jumped from sh59m in May for 18 officials to sh138m in June, when the number of officials increased by seven.
Muhammed Nsereko, the Kampala Central MP, exclaimed: “This is embezzlement. Money was passed even before Parliament passed vote on the account.â€
“We should take urgent action on corruption,†Jesca Ababiku remarked.
The KCCA communications consultant, Patrick Mugenyi, said the consultants were necessary to “help set up KCCA as an institution that currently has one staff, the executive director.