Court summons Beti Kamya for interfering with Lukwago’s work

The High Court in Kampala has summoned the Minister in-charge of Kampala City Beti Olive Kamya to appear for cross-examination for interfering with the executive powers of the Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago.

Lukwago recently dragged Kamya to court seeking to restrain her from passing off as the political head of Uganda’s capital.

On Tuesday as the case came up for hearing , Justice Hennrietta Wolayo upon a request by Lukwago's lawyer Chrysostom Katumba issued the summons for Kamya to appear on April 24 for cross examination.

The judge however ordered both Kamya and Lukwago to first exhaust avenues of settling their differences out of court before appointing a mediator but warned that failure by both parties to reach a consensus , the case would go through a full trial.

In his case, Lukwago says he has on several occasions written formal requests to the minister to attend Authority meetings to iron out several issues relating to the development of the capital city but she has boycotted them.

Section 11 of the KCCA Act vests the executive powers of the city in the office of the lord mayor.

The same act says that the lord mayor is the political head of the capital city among many other administration duties, a role the lord mayor claims the minister has taken over illegally.

“The minister has on several occasions arbitrarily taken unilateral decisions and purported to implement the same without involving the office of the lord mayor as the political head of the authority,”Lukwago noted.

According to the Lord mayor, the actions of minister have solely frustrated his ability to execute his duties of developing programs and strategies for the development of the capital city.

Among those affected is the KCCA Metropolitan Physical Planning authority that is touted as a blue print for restoring to order in the capital city.

“On several occasions I requested the minister to appoint persons to constitute the Metropolitan Physical Planning Authority but all my efforts have come to a naught which has adversely affected my work and duties as lord mayor,” he said.

Lukwago contends that unless court intervenes and restrains Kamya from making such irrational decisions and passing-off as the lord mayor, the sovereignty of the people of Kampala will be put in jeopardy and hence forth affect the social contract he made with his voters in May 2016.