KCCA warns on taxi leadership

By Eddie Ssejjoba          
        
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has warned some factions of taxi drivers and conductors against organizing fresh elections of stage committee members, which is feared to cause confusion and violence in the city.

In a letter dated June 24 and signed by Sam Sserunkuuma on behalf of the executive director Jenifer Musisi, KCCA stopped drivers and conductors behind the arrangements and asked everyone to operate under the existing leadership.

The letter copied to the different police commanders in Kampala Metropolitan city instructed stage committee leaders in the New Taxi Park, Old Taxi Park, Nateete, Kisenyi, Namayiba and USAFI to desist from confusing drivers.

This came after tension started building up in taxi parks in Kampala city as drivers and conductors vowed to defend their stages if any new group attempted to usurp their powers and organize fresh elections.

Sserunkuuma stated that a group of people had of recent embarked on disorganizing stage committees and in some instances held elections contrary to advice from the authority.

true

He explained that KCCA in conjunction with the Inspector General of Police and other security authorities had engaged the different taxi leadership groups and agreed to form a committee to harmonise the industry.

He said the committee that would comprise of representatives from KCCA, Kampala Metropolitan Police and Internal security Organization was mandated to supervise compliance, enforcement and the general administration in the transport industry in the city.

"This is to advise that KCCA still recognizes the existing stage leadership and with whom we coordinate operations of the taxi transport industry within the city," he stated in the letter.

He added, "This is therefore to advise all members of the taxi industry, including drivers and conductors to operate under the known park stage committees.


The Old taxi park

In a Thursday meeting held at Nalubwama Arcade in downtown Kampala, drivers and conductors under Kampala Operational Taxi stages Association (KOTSA) backed KCCA's move and vowed to foil any attempt by rival factions to organize fresh elections at the various stages.

Their chairman, Yasin Ssematimba said they recently held meetings with various authorities and agreed to form a committee to investigate and submit a report about the origin of the conflicts within the taxi industry in Kampala.
"We were just surprised to hear that a group of people was calling upon drivers at the different stages to take part in elections that are even outside the KCCA mandate," he said.

Different drivers also expressed dismay about the new arrangements and stated that this could reignite confusion and commotion in the taxi parks.

"We shall not allow anyone to come to destabilize our work, we are ready to listen and follow instructions from KCCA, otherwise any arrangements outside their management will not be allowed here," said Wilson Kigozi, chairman Hoima stage in the New Taxi Park.