Tears, emotions as Musisi bids farewell to KCCA staff

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After exactly 7 years and 8 months, Jennifer Ssemakula Musisi officially handed over office as the first Kampala Capital City Authority Executive Director and later left City Hall amid tears from employees.

A few minutes after 10am, smartly dressed in a cream Gomesi, Musisi entered the Executive Director’s boardroom to a thunderous applause from some of the employees and directors present for the handover ceremony.

“Good morning everybody. This is the KCCA Executive Director signing out,”Musisi introduced herself before taking a seat.

“Seven years and 8 months ago, I walked into City Hall for the very first time to be introduced to the Public as the first executive director of Kampala City. During my short speech, I committed myself to work hard to build an institution that would focus on addressing the challenges Kampala faced and deliver the services that Ugandans had for so long yearned for," she said.

“I also committed that we would work to build, an institution that Ugandans would be proud of. As I hand back the office and the City of Kampala today, I would like to say that I have done my absolute best to fulfil the commitment I made to the people of Uganda when I took up Office.”

Peculiar dayFrom the onset, it was not a normal Friday just like the others.

Right from the entrance, something was amiss as the always jolly staff put on gloomy faces.

Many of the employees were in groups of two to three arguably discussing their fate.

At the balcony near the Executive Director’s office was a Police Presidential Guard who usually donned a blue uniform and was now smartly dressed in a green camouflage uniform for the Special Forces Command.

“We have done our part and it is time to return to the barracks,” he was heard murmuring as he discussed with a colleague.

Unusually, KCCA spokesperson Peter Kaujju introduced Musisi as “Doctor” unlike before when they always referred to her as Madam ED.

She later gave her short speech about the time she has served as KCCA Executive Director but despite wearing a smile on her face, deep inside her, tears were rolling.

For the KCCA staff such as Kaujju and his deputy Robert Kalumba, you could tell they were not sure of what the future held.

They could be seen holding their hands as their former boss and close friend gave her speech.

Among the people Musisi applauded was Kampala Minister, Beti Kamya with whom she had of lately been at loggerheads.

The body language could clearly show the two powerful ladies at KCCA were not seeing eye to eye with each other.

Nonetheless, they performed the ceremony as Musisi handed over office to Kamya.

Employees bid farewell

On behalf of the employees, spokesperson, Peter Kaujju gave a moving farewell speech as they said goodbye to the person they had known as their boss and friend for the past seven years.

“We thank you for being such a good leader and guiding us all through. We value your efforts and because of your resilience, you have been able to deliver results,”Kaujju said of Musisi whom she described as their mother.

Musisi would later escort Kamya through the hind exit of City Hall to her office near parliament.

Meanwhile, Musisi returned to the boardroom for her last time before she entered her office.

At the reception and corridors, KCCA staff lineup with their phones ready to take photos of Musisi as she left the office for the last time.

“We are recording down history,” said one of the employees.Emotional

Unlike before, Musisi this time took longer to exit the building as she went on greeting and sometimes hugging some of the staff who were waiting to have a last glimpse at her.

Musisi exits City Hall yesterday. Some KCCA staff wept as they bade farewell to the executive director

On their faces, uncertainty was displayed as they arguably didn’t know what the future beheld for them following Musisi’s exit.

At the stairs of the building was a mammoth crowd of employees including KCCA enforcement officers who mounted a guard of honour for Musisi.

The distance that usually took her only five minutes from the main building to the main entrance this time took over 20 minutes as Musisi bid farewell to the employees.

Many of them including Kaujju were seen shedding tears as Musisi exited.

Musisi herself shed tears as she hugged her former staff.

Finally, Musisi finally exited City Hall in a Toyota Prado TX to her home.Her era at City Hall had come to an end.

Reaction

A number of KCCA employees that this website spoke to sang praises to Musisi whom they described as being a team leader and mother.“She has left a legacy and we shall always miss her,” said Juliet Bukirwa.

“She has left a benchmark for us from where we shall start.”

Nassuuna Mirembe an employee in the engineering department of KCCA said it was an emotional moment seeing the person with whom they had worked together for 7 years exit City Hall.

“She was one person who knew how to handle employees. We could confide in her what was hurting us. She was a parent who could advise you whenever you did wrong,”Nassuuna said.

“I pray God guides her in all her endeavours.”

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