Police have arrested five people for allegedly storming a meeting at KCCA offices at City Hall and beating up city councillors.
The councillors, who include aspiring KCCA Speaker Haji Abubaker Kawalya (Lubaga North), Umar Kajumba (Makindye West 1), Cathy Nagawa (Lubaga North), Alice Among (Nakawa 2) and Happy Asasira (Nakawa 1), were attacked last week as they attempted to deliberate over who they will choose as a candidate for the position of speaker. The position of Speaker has been created under the KCCA amendment Act.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesman Luke Oweyesigire said some councillors were injured in the incident
“We received six suspects for assaulting councillors. We are keeping the suspects in custody as we liaise with KCCA on the next course of action,” Oweyesigire said yesterday.
Those attacked belong to opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)
So far, several councillors have officially declared interest in the speaker’s job. These include Rubaga North’s Haji Abubaker Kawalya Makerere University female councillor Doreen Nyanjula, Kyambogo University councillor Buruhani Byaruhanga, Kawempe North councillor Muhammad Ssegirinya, and Olive Namazi, the female Councillor, Kyambogo University.
President Museveni has assented to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Amendment Bill, 2019, effectively trimming the Lord Mayor’s legislative powers.
Kampala Affairs minister Betty Kamya last week said the President assented to the Bill on November 28 and that now they are in the process of implementing certain clauses of the law.
“I have directed the KCCA Executive Director to kick start the process of implementing the law by drafting the necessary documentation, including those on the needed funding for the law to come into place,” she told journalists in Kampala on Friday.
Under the law, Ms Kamya said the Lord Mayor will retain the executive powers but give up the legislative powers to the Speaker and the Council. She said the Lord Mayor will be the chairperson of the City Executive Committee which will run the day to day operations of the council.
“The Lord Mayor’s responsibilities will be to prepare the budget and submit it to the speaker and council for review and approval. He will no longer be part of the approval team,” Ms Kamya said, adding that the Lord Mayor is also expected to be accountable to the council.
“The responsible to call authority and make laws is now with the speaker and the council, not the Lord Mayor. He can no longer call council and preside over it,” she said.
