Lukwago is Lord Mayor
Mar 15, 2011
Erias Lukwago won the hotly contested Kampala mayoral election held on Monday after beating NRM’s Peter Ssematimba by 110,310 votes.
By Francis Kagolo and Patrick Ogwang
Erias Lukwago won the hotly contested Kampala mayoral election held on Monday after beating NRM’s Peter Ssematimba by 110,310 votes.
Lukwago, an independent, garnered 229,325 votes or 64.41%, while Sematimba got 119,015 (33.43%).
The returning officer, Molly Mutazindwa, announced the results at about 5:20am (Tuesday) after a night-long tallying exercise held at the UMA Conference Hall in Lugogo.
Micheal Mabikke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) came third with 4,092 votes (1.15%), followed by Francis Babu who got 2,059 votes (0.58%) and Sandra Ngabo with 1,035 votes (0.29%).
Emmanuel Tumusiime of the Forum for Integrity in Leadership (FIL) managed to get 539 votes, which is 0.15% of the cast votes.
The first election of the Kampala mayor flopped on February 23 when violence broke out after reports that voting started before the prescribed time and that there had been ballot stuffing and rigging. Consequently, the Electoral Commission (EC) cancelled the elections.
Top EC officials including chairman Badru Kiggundu, his deputy Joseph Biribonwa and secretary Sam Rwakoojo, witnessed the entire tallying exercise amidst tight security mounted by the Police’s anti-riot and very important persons protection (VIPP) units.
Kiggundu told New Vision the exercise was free and fair; he commended his Kampala team for “work well done.â€
Lukwago, alongside his lawyer Medard Sseggona and other agents including FDC vice president Salaamu Musumba and MP elect Ibrahim Nganda, sighed, clapped and jumped upon hearing the announcement. Thunderous ululations and songs praising Lukwago followed outside the hall.
Lukwago beat his opponents in all the five divisions with a high margin, including polling stations where his opponents voted from. At Kakeeka in Rubaga Division where Ssematimba voted from, Lukwago got 189 votes, while Sematimba received 76.
At St. Henry’s Church in Makindye Division, where Michael Mabikke (SDP) cast his vote, Lukwago got 105 votes, Sematimba polled 100 and Mabikke got four.
In Kampala central, a renowned NRM stronghold, Lukwago got 22,312 votes while Sematimba polled 14,152. Likewise in Nakawa, also a stronghold for the NRM, Lukwago got 34,762 compared to Sematimba’s 21,737.
In Rubaga Division, where Ssematimba is the LC III chairman, Lukwago beat him by 32,676 votes. Lukwago polled 62,791 votes in Rubaga compared to Sematimba’s 30,115.
“The victory is for the people of Kampala and the rest of Uganda. I am going to work for a fundamental change in the city,†Lukwago pledged after he was announced winner.
“I am also proud that I have beaten President Yoweri Museveni, not Ssematimba. And, president Museveni should take note, whether he likes it or not, that I am the mayor elected by the people of Kampala and I am ready to serve.â€
He added, “I know it will pain him (Museveni) so much but he will do nothing to change what the people have given me.â€
Earlier, Sematimba camped at the tally centre in the company of Kampala central Division chairman Godfrey Nyakaana and some of his agents, but all left after about three hours upon sensing defeat.
Save for Ngabo, no other candidate was around at the tally centre to listen to the announcement of results.
Ngabo described the exercise as free and fair; she acknowledged that “Lukwago’s win was inevitable.†She vowed to continue doing underground work to return in the 2016 general elections.
Sseggona said that losing an election was not the end of the world and asked Sematimba to join Lukwago in modernizing the city. He also advised Lukwago to unite the people of Kampala so as to spur development.
Despite a few anomalies that led to the arrest of about 10 people, the exercise was generally peaceful compared to the earlier election which flopped.
Voting materials arrived in time and by 9:00am queues had slowly began forming at most polling stations. Results for only one polling station, Muyenga Community Hall in Makindye Division, were cancelled because the ballot box had no declaration forms.
However, the exercise was marred by low voter turn-up compared to the earlier presidential and parliamentary elections. Only 359,099 people or 30.42% of the registered voters turned up.
New law in place
Kampala City is no longer a district. Under the Kampala Capital City Bill (2009) passed in November last year, the city is now regarded simply as located in Buganda, but with a special status under the direct control of the Central Government.
Power from the Lord Mayor’s office is being shifted to an executive director who has already been appointed by the President.
This means that Kampala’s next mayor will be a ceremonial figurehead and the person actually wielding the power will be the executive director.
This change is intended to streamline the status of Kampala as the capital city of Uganda and spell out its administration to ease provision of effective administration of the city, and to address the appalling conditions of its infrastructure.
Under this law already assented to by the President, a new post of Lord Mayor replaced the title Mayor, which was relinquished to city division heads. The divisions themselves were elevated to municipality status.
The same law replaced the position of city town clerk with a new post of executive director who will be appointed by the President in consultation with the Public Service Commission. The position of town clerk was reserved for city divisions.
The law also provides that the President may appoint a cabinet minister, a state minister or both to oversee Kampala.
The City divisions, now municipalities, will become autonomous administrative units and shall have more powers with their directly-elected mayors and councils, separate town clerks, RDCs and deputy RDCs as is the case in other districts.
Most of the responsibilities like public works including roads and bridges, drainage, road lights are now in the hands of former City divisions now municipalities.
Other than the political and administrative capital, there shall be the Kampala Capital City Authority which shall be in charge of planning for greater Kampala including surrounding areas like Wakiso district which harbours Entebbe Municipality and Kira and Nansana Town Councils, Kyengera Town Board and Makindye Ssaabagabo sub-county.
It will also include Mukono district where Mukono Municipality is located, and Mpigi district. This will be for urban planning and development.
Erias Lukwago won the hotly contested Kampala mayoral election held on Monday after beating NRM’s Peter Ssematimba by 110,310 votes.
Lukwago, an independent, garnered 229,325 votes or 64.41%, while Sematimba got 119,015 (33.43%).
The returning officer, Molly Mutazindwa, announced the results at about 5:20am (Tuesday) after a night-long tallying exercise held at the UMA Conference Hall in Lugogo.
Micheal Mabikke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) came third with 4,092 votes (1.15%), followed by Francis Babu who got 2,059 votes (0.58%) and Sandra Ngabo with 1,035 votes (0.29%).
Emmanuel Tumusiime of the Forum for Integrity in Leadership (FIL) managed to get 539 votes, which is 0.15% of the cast votes.
The first election of the Kampala mayor flopped on February 23 when violence broke out after reports that voting started before the prescribed time and that there had been ballot stuffing and rigging. Consequently, the Electoral Commission (EC) cancelled the elections.
Top EC officials including chairman Badru Kiggundu, his deputy Joseph Biribonwa and secretary Sam Rwakoojo, witnessed the entire tallying exercise amidst tight security mounted by the Police’s anti-riot and very important persons protection (VIPP) units.
Kiggundu told New Vision the exercise was free and fair; he commended his Kampala team for “work well done.â€
Lukwago, alongside his lawyer Medard Sseggona and other agents including FDC vice president Salaamu Musumba and MP elect Ibrahim Nganda, sighed, clapped and jumped upon hearing the announcement. Thunderous ululations and songs praising Lukwago followed outside the hall.
Lukwago beat his opponents in all the five divisions with a high margin, including polling stations where his opponents voted from. At Kakeeka in Rubaga Division where Ssematimba voted from, Lukwago got 189 votes, while Sematimba received 76.
At St. Henry’s Church in Makindye Division, where Michael Mabikke (SDP) cast his vote, Lukwago got 105 votes, Sematimba polled 100 and Mabikke got four.
In Kampala central, a renowned NRM stronghold, Lukwago got 22,312 votes while Sematimba polled 14,152. Likewise in Nakawa, also a stronghold for the NRM, Lukwago got 34,762 compared to Sematimba’s 21,737.
In Rubaga Division, where Ssematimba is the LC III chairman, Lukwago beat him by 32,676 votes. Lukwago polled 62,791 votes in Rubaga compared to Sematimba’s 30,115.
“The victory is for the people of Kampala and the rest of Uganda. I am going to work for a fundamental change in the city,†Lukwago pledged after he was announced winner.
“I am also proud that I have beaten President Yoweri Museveni, not Ssematimba. And, president Museveni should take note, whether he likes it or not, that I am the mayor elected by the people of Kampala and I am ready to serve.â€
He added, “I know it will pain him (Museveni) so much but he will do nothing to change what the people have given me.â€
Earlier, Sematimba camped at the tally centre in the company of Kampala central Division chairman Godfrey Nyakaana and some of his agents, but all left after about three hours upon sensing defeat.
Save for Ngabo, no other candidate was around at the tally centre to listen to the announcement of results.
Ngabo described the exercise as free and fair; she acknowledged that “Lukwago’s win was inevitable.†She vowed to continue doing underground work to return in the 2016 general elections.
Sseggona said that losing an election was not the end of the world and asked Sematimba to join Lukwago in modernizing the city. He also advised Lukwago to unite the people of Kampala so as to spur development.
Despite a few anomalies that led to the arrest of about 10 people, the exercise was generally peaceful compared to the earlier election which flopped.
Voting materials arrived in time and by 9:00am queues had slowly began forming at most polling stations. Results for only one polling station, Muyenga Community Hall in Makindye Division, were cancelled because the ballot box had no declaration forms.
However, the exercise was marred by low voter turn-up compared to the earlier presidential and parliamentary elections. Only 359,099 people or 30.42% of the registered voters turned up.
New law in place
Kampala City is no longer a district. Under the Kampala Capital City Bill (2009) passed in November last year, the city is now regarded simply as located in Buganda, but with a special status under the direct control of the Central Government.
Power from the Lord Mayor’s office is being shifted to an executive director who has already been appointed by the President.
This means that Kampala’s next mayor will be a ceremonial figurehead and the person actually wielding the power will be the executive director.
This change is intended to streamline the status of Kampala as the capital city of Uganda and spell out its administration to ease provision of effective administration of the city, and to address the appalling conditions of its infrastructure.
Under this law already assented to by the President, a new post of Lord Mayor replaced the title Mayor, which was relinquished to city division heads. The divisions themselves were elevated to municipality status.
The same law replaced the position of city town clerk with a new post of executive director who will be appointed by the President in consultation with the Public Service Commission. The position of town clerk was reserved for city divisions.
The law also provides that the President may appoint a cabinet minister, a state minister or both to oversee Kampala.
The City divisions, now municipalities, will become autonomous administrative units and shall have more powers with their directly-elected mayors and councils, separate town clerks, RDCs and deputy RDCs as is the case in other districts.
Most of the responsibilities like public works including roads and bridges, drainage, road lights are now in the hands of former City divisions now municipalities.
Other than the political and administrative capital, there shall be the Kampala Capital City Authority which shall be in charge of planning for greater Kampala including surrounding areas like Wakiso district which harbours Entebbe Municipality and Kira and Nansana Town Councils, Kyengera Town Board and Makindye Ssaabagabo sub-county.
It will also include Mukono district where Mukono Municipality is located, and Mpigi district. This will be for urban planning and development.