By George Bukenya
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Minister Minsa Kabanda allegedly fuels taxi operators’ leadership wrangles after being accused by one of the groups of forcing his brother and son on the committee that that sees the day-today running of Public Taxi Parks.
The group under their umbrella organization … alleges that the minister used her office to impose her brother Hussien Sekatawa as vice chairman of the committee which runs the daily activities of the new taxi park as well as recognising Badru Sserunjogi as chairman yet he wasn’t elected by the drivers and conductors operating in the said park.
While reporting the causes of the internal bickering with the taxi operators in Kampala to the Presidential Phiona Barungi in a meeting she convened at Emrand Hotel in Kampala, they told her that Sserunjogi forced himself into the leadership of the New Taxi Park he is recognized by the minister because of her personal interests.
Noordine Mukuye was allegedly substantially elected by the operators 3 years ago but wasn’t installed as chairman of new taxi park, despite pleading to the minister to be given his office; she kept playing him monkey tricks up to date because he refused to take the role of vice chairperson as asked by the minister as the alleged ministers brother takes the position of chairman.
“After my election, I expected to enter into office straight away but the minister asked me to give his brother Hussien Sekatawa a position on the committee which I and other people agreed to give him the position of overall supervisor of activities in the New Taxi Park which we made in writing having been asked by the minister herself,’’ Mukuye revealed.
“ I mortgaged my house and borrowed UGX 17 million to organize a ceremony where the minister Kabanda confirmed to me that she was going to install me as chairman of New Taxi Park after its completion of refurbishment but this was a nightmare and up to now I am still servicing the loan which eventually accumulated to about UGX 60 m,’’ he said.
He also said that, Sekatawa instead by the help of the minister forced himself into the position of chairman and was forcefully put into office by Uganda Taxi and Drivers Association (UTOF) chairman Rashid Sekindi.
The group that met Barungi also claim that Sekindi re-introduced multiple tax users fees which the president directed KCCA to stop and charge a single fee charges annually and when the park users complain about that they are harassed, beaten while others are dismissed from their stages.
Muhammed Kabunga also a driver in the said park says that UTOF leadership is a menace in the taxi business especially in Kampala because is the trouble causer of the wrangles when it connives with KCCA to oppress the drivers as they collect illegal fees, gazette illegal stages outside the parks.
“ The leadership of UTOF in conjunction with KCCA’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU) enforcement officers grab our motor vehicles and use them in their operations and intentionally cause accidents after which traffic police towers them and park them at police as a way of silencing us,’’ Kabunga claim.
He also wondered from where UTOF leadership derive the exclusive powers to the extent of defying the presidential directives of having only one official user fees charged from taxi operators.
The Minister Minsa Kabanda speaking to our reporter via mobile telephone denied the allegations and said that Mukuye’s allegations are baseless and misleading.
“ Mukuye was defeated in the elections and was given the position of Deputy Chairman which he declined to take. He has reached several high ranking officers including that of the Prime Minister and was told to go and work with the elected leadership, “ Kabanda said.
She also said all her sons are working abroad accept Dr. Shafic Mbabali who is working with Nsambya Hospital and that her further was the leader at Mityana Stage many years ago.
However, Barungi assured the complainant that they will get justice through her report to President Museveni because the fountain of honour sent her to find out the causes of wrangles again occurring in the taxi transport activity.
“ I will make sure that justice prevails to you, after filing my report because all what you said I realize there’s truth in it having seen several letter written by the relevant authorities and that of the presidential directive,’’ Barungi assured them.
She also said that she will meet UTOF leadership and find out why they are still charging multiple fees as opposed to the presidential directive.
Rashid Sekindi also said that UTOF advised Mukuye to work with Sserunjogi as vice Chairman because he lost in the election for purposes of avoid endless wars and maintain peace with the operators but he remained adamant and decided to continue fighting the leadership.
According to Sekindi Mukuye uses old picture of people tortured during that period when UTOF hadn’t been in place to claim and back up his false allegations ,he also gets images of people beaten in other parts of the country and put them on the files he is moving with to justify that UTOF is torturing drivers.