KCCA: Another row within over council meetings

By Taddeo Bwambale, Brian Mayanja and Norah Mutesi

Councilors representing the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have vowed to petition the minister for Kampala over their mandate to hold Authority meetings.

This follows a letter from the city executive director saying she would neither attend nor facilitate council meetings that do not follow 14-day prior notice.

In her letter dated July 20, Musisi said she would not disregard the advice of the Solicitor General advising to hold such.

“On 15th February 2012, I received the opinion of the Solicitor General to the effect that all legal meetings must be convened after a notice of 14 working days,” Musisi’s letter partly reads.

During KCCA’s special council meeting held on Wednesday, the councilors resolved to petition the minister over the interpretation of the KCC Act, 2010.

The law allows the Lord Mayor to convene a special council meeting within 14 days.

The same law, however, requires the Lord Mayor to give to each member of the Authority notice in writing at least fourteen working days before the day of the meeting.

The councilors accused Musisi of using the provision in the Act to block special council meetings to discuss issues affecting the city.

“It appears that the technical team wants us to only come here to pass the budget, not to discuss matters affecting the Authority,” Hawa Namugenyi, the councilor for Rubaga division said.

“If this meeting is illegal, how come we passed the budget after a one day notice?” asked the Nakawa division councilor, Apollo Mugume.

In the same spirit, Godfrey Asiimwe, the councilor for Rubaga division said they had failed to address issues affecting city dwellers and engaged in endless personal battles.

  “The egos and proud among us will destroy this institution,” he said.

Allan Ssewanyana, the councillor for Makindye division asked Musisi to produce the Solicitor General’s letter.

   Makerere University councilor, Bernard Luyiga walked out of the meeting arguing that he could not take part in an unlawful meeting.

His colleagues heckled him as he picked his documents and walked out, dressed in a kanzu (tunic) and dark coat.

The Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago insisted that he would not issue a 14-day notice since matters to be discussed were urgent.