By George Bukenya
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and his minister John Mary denied highering goons, who beat and insulted councillors during council meeting on 17th September, 2024.
Lukwago says that his Central Executive committee was ready to present the report on garbage management as required by council but instead council turned into theatre and boxing ring.
Fighting started as Lukwago’s City Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge Works and Engineering John Mary Ssebuufu who was support to present the garbage management report on behalf of the Lord Mayor refused apologize on behalf of CEC as asked by council for failure to turn up in the earlier council meeting organized early this month to present the report as asked by the Speaker Zahara Luyirika.
The session, intended to address critical issues plaguing the capital, descended into chaos when the executive committee could not present the much-anticipated plan for handling Kampala’s growing waste crisis.
“All powers regarding policy matters is vetted in council this implies that CEC was obliged to first bring the garbage report to council for councillors to debate it but I was astonished to watch on television news the Deputy Lord Mayor presenting it to Parliament’’. Rt. Hon Luyirika stated.
“ Its seems the Lord Mayor and his committee are working for someone else instead of working for the people of Kampala who elected them that is why they are frustrating all our efforts to see that we get an everlasting solution for garbage management in the city.’’ She said.
The report had been expected to outline a comprehensive strategy to tackle the mounting piles of garbage affecting numerous parts of the city.
“The city is drowning in waste, and we have no clear plan on how to manage it. We need urgent solutions, not delays,” Councillor Faustin Bitaano (Makindye Division) echoed the statement.
When council resumed after things normalised, police having removed the so called goons from the chamber hall, councillor resolved not to allow CEC to present the report even in the next sitting unless any member of the CEC nominated to present the report first apologizes to council for undermining it.
In today’s press conference, councillor Ssebuufu retrialated his earlier stance of not apologizing arguing that CEC didn’t committee anything wrong as alleged by the majority of the council members who deliberated upon the matter.
Lukwago in his briefing to reporters, he directed that the process for acquisition of an alternative land for establishment of waste management facility be halted until the City Executive Committee is furnished with a comprehensive progressive report.
He also called on the Inspector General of Government to interdict the Executive Director and her deputy as investigation is ongoing because if they are still in office they will influence the outcome of the investigation report.
Lukwago is quelling how many alocated to cater for solid waste management is being utilized for instance the UGX 4.5 billion according to him is being missused and this is evidenced in Kiteezi tragedy he stated during his address to reporters.
Just after the Kiteezi disaster that claimed about 50 lives and displacing scores, government pasted UGX. 16 billion from the contingency funds for acquisition of an alternative land for establishment of waste management facility.
However ,Kampala’s solid waste management challenges have escalated since Kiteezi tragedy , with garbage piling up in various city villages thus posing serious health and environmental risks.
The inability of the City Executive Committee to present its plan only intensified calls for urgent intervention.
It remains unclear how the city executive will address the growing concerns and when the report will finally be presented. For now, the residents of Kampala continue to await decisive action to clean up their city.