Jennifer Musisi meets Parliament for possibly last time as ED on KCCA achievements

A meeting between Members of Parliament and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials zeroed in on environment and infrastructure, with Speaker Rebecca Kadaga calling for punitive action against tree cutters.

“I don’t see people being arrested over cutting down trees. In other places, you cannot cut a tree even one you planted yourself; I grew up in the city and one of the changes is that the greenery is no more,” said Kadaga.

The meeting, attended by Speaker Kadaga and several MPs, was called at the request of KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi, to interact with MPs on the progress of the authority seven years since inception.

When Musisi, who recently tendered in her resignation to President Yoweri Museveni, took to the podium to list her achievements in what appeared to be a farewell address to the legislators, she said under her leadership, a total of 210 kilometers of roads have been constructed, with a total of over 240km of road works ongoing.

Musisi said political fights have been her major frustration at KCCA.

“We [technical team] have a mandate, the politicians have a mandate; I think it is important for each to play their role. It [politics] has cost us a lot personally,” she said, adding that there is a lot to be done.

MP Allan Ssewanyana (DP, Makindye West) wished Musisi a happy retirement, but had no kind words for what he called shabby works and corruption.

“I thank the Executive Director for serving for the seven and a half years; it is not easy; I thank you and wish you well where you are going to retire from,” said Ssewanyana.

“They [KCCA] have selected a few roads and put on PowerPoint for Parliament to see but when you drive out there, you cannot see those roads,” said Ssewanyana.

He also criticized Musisi for “wasteful expenditure,” singling out the purchase of Usafi Market at “an exorbitant price”.

Musisi refuted the claims, and distanced herself from the alleged inflation of the Usafi Market price to Shs37 billion, saying it remains the duty of the Chief Government Valuer to put price tags on property where government is interested.

Musisi and Ssewanyana have a long-time rivalry dating to the acrimonious impeachment of Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago in 2013, where the then Makindye Division Councillor disrupted proceedings and accused Musisi of political witch-hunt.

MP Latif Ssebaggala (IND, Kawempe North) was all praises to the Executive Director, whose leadership he said has greatly improved the road network in his constituency.

Musisi tendered in her resignation in October, which many believed to be a culmination of unending cat fights with the abrasive Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.