Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has dismissed reports that some opposition councillors from KCCA are part of the Kyankwanzi “refresher course” organised by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and Kampala Minister Beti Kamya.
Lukwago says that among councillors under his command, only eight went for the Kyankwanzi training, all of whom are affiliated to the NRM.
KCCA has 34 Councillors but among those who went for the retreat, include; Solomon Mayanja (Makerere University), Fatmah Nsereko (Kampala Central), Bruhan Byaruhanga (Kyambogo), David Lwanga (Kampala Central).
KCCA councillors early this month voted to reject the training organised by Kamya. In a council meeting chaired by the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, the opposition leaning councillors who call themselves “the ruling party” at city hall voted to reject Kamya’s training. They also voted against KCCA spending money on the training as allowance for councillors.
In a letter dated October 31 addressed to Kampala Capital City Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi, Kamya had requested for pocket allowance for both city authority and urban division councillors who will be attending the training.
Among other issues why the Kyankwazi retreat was rejected is that it was meant to ideologically orient councillors to support the age limit Bill. Lukwago and opposition councillors found Kamya’s proposal to ferry councillors to Kyankwanzi dubious and aimed at getting more subscribers for the unpopular age limit bill.
However, it should be noted that the entire KCCA has about 230 councillors (including those at the divisions), hence the number at Kyankwanzi at the moment is about 218 according to reliable sources. This means that Beti Kamya bypassed the resolution by the council.
Lukwago now accuses Kamya of using her powers to reject a resolution from the council meeting.
“Kamya should stop treating this as her home where she does what she wants and rejects what she does not want. We shall present this issue to the authority,” Lukwago said
The minister can advise or reject but before she does, she has to present the resolution before the cabinet. According to the KCCA Act, under section 79, the minister has the powers “to vary or rescind any decision of the Authority which is in contravention of any law or Government policy, with the approval of Cabinet.”
Under the same KCCA Act , section 11 shows that the Lord Mayor is the political head of the capital city.
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