Kampala mayor seat vacant, insists Tumwebaze

KAMPALA - The Minister for the Presidency and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Frank Tumwebaze has reacted to Thursday's court interim injunction granting Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago relief.

"The interim injunction is impossible to implement as we cannot stop a meeting that has already occurred.

"Infact the seat of the Lord Mayor has already been declared vacant and the Electoral Commission has been accordingly informed," said Tumwebaze, in the statement. 

The minister has sought the Attorney General’s guidance on the matter.  Minister Tumwebaze has also issued an official statement (BELOW) on the court order issued on Monday.

“While I respect the ruling of Justice Nyanzi giving an order to me to stop the convening of a KCCA meeting as well as implementation of the tribunal report until an administrative review application is heard, I am only wondering how practicable this ruling is?” Tumwebaze said.

“How do you implement an order that seeks to stop an activity that has already taken place? 

"Both his interim order given today and the earlier one purported to have been given on Monday and which was served to the Attorney General in court at 10 O’clock exist after the authority meeting of November 25 2013, had taken place.

"So what then do these orders intend to stop? I have accordingly written to the Attorney General to seek his guidance on the matter,” said the minister.

Lukwago, on his part, said he will resume his duties as Lord Mayor on Friday.

Councilors met in a special meeting on Monday this week to vote on the fate of Erias Lukwago following findings from a tribunal report days before.

The report found Lukwago guilty on grounds of abuse of office, incompetence, misconduct and misbehavior and the tribunal cleared the process for his removal from office.

In the meeting chaired by Minister Tumwebaze, 29 councilors voted in favor of the mayor's removal, while three others took an opposite direction.

Members from the opposition tried to stop the meeting from going on, basing on a last-minute court injuction, but their efforts were futile.

Minister Tumwebaze 's Statement on High Court Order

RELATED STORIES

 FLASHBACK: How Lukwago was impeached

Teargas in Kampala after Lukwago impeachment

Minister explains Lukwago impeachment