Wafula dismayed over stalled KCCA talks

By Moses Mulondo

THE Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Wafula Oguttu, has expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda for failure to comply with ta Parliament directive of ensuring that the ousted Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is reinstated before February.

“The talks have reached nowhere. I am very disappointed with the Prime Minister. He is a person I used to respect and trust but am beginning to have doubts. May be it is because he does not have full powers,” Wafula lamented.

The Bukhooli Central MP revealed to New Vision  that ever since the directive was given last year, Rugunda has held only one meeting with the opposition.

“Rugunda has not called any other meeting. We are therefore seen to be fooling the public and the parliament which gave us the instruction to sort out KCCA political stalemate before February,” Wafula elaborated.

Calling it impunity of the highest order, Wafula castigated government for violating the rights of the Erias Lukwago.

“Lukwago has been treated without any respect for his rights as an elected leader. His family has been denied a livelihood. No court has said he is not the Lord Mayor but someone who controls the voters’ money decided that he should not be paid and should be blocked from accessing his office,” Wafula stated.

He advised the NRM leaders to desist from practicing injustices especially violating the rights of citizens.

“Those in power today should know that tomorrow they will be in opposition. Instead of rule of law, the NRM government is using rule by law. Government uses law to abuse people’s rights,” he asserted.

Referring to the over KCCA sh500b loan parliament passed towards the end of last year during which the directive to re-instate the Lord Mayor was given, Wafula said KCCA should not be allowed to continue spending public funds without political oversight.

“The deputy speaker (Jacob Oulanyah) was categorical and it is on Hansard that parliament shall not entertain any KCCA matter before the political stalemate is resolved. He is aware that KCCA problem is more political than legal,” he explained.   

Going by Oulanyah’s directive, Wafula said, it is very unlikely that parliament will approve the KCCA budget if the matter has not been resolved.

“Either we urgently have to conclude the talks neatly in a manner that earns us some respect or we abandon the talks,” Wafula said.

In a telephone interview with New Vision, the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda defended himself saying, “The technical people will have a meeting in the course of this week to finalize their report after which we shall have the political meeting with Wafula and his team on the way forward.”

Asked why he has failed to resolve the matter before February as Oulanyah had directed, Rugunda said, “The matter has not been resolved but we are making progress."

On the possibility of Lukwago returning to office, Rugunda responded: “The central point is not about the Lord Mayor but better governance for Kampala. That is why Cabinet is currently working on a new law to streamline the governance of KCCA.”

Responding to Wafula’s remarks that he has failed to resolve the matter, Rugunda said: “I respect my brother Wafula. He is entitled to his views. As government, we think we are on course. We shall bring the matter to a speedy and logical conclusion. We are working on a durable solution. That is why the KCCA law is being reviewed by cabinet.”