Kampala’s Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, has publicly apologised following the chaotic scenes in yesterday’s Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Council meeting, where councillors engaged in a physical altercation.
The incident, which disrupted the meeting’s agenda, left many Kampala residents disappointed. In a press briefing today, Lukwago expressed his remorse, stating, “What happened yesterday was shameful, and I extend my sincere apologies to all Kampala people and Ugandans at large.”
Lukwago acknowledged that the brawl prevented any meaningful discussions from taking place, as councillors resorted to trading blows. He called for greater discipline among council members to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
During the same briefing, the Lord Mayor also announced the suspension of the acquisition of an alternative land for establishment of a waste management facility.
The process, which involved the identification and acquisition of land for waste disposal, has been put on hold until the city executive committee is furnished with a comprehensive progress report for further management and council consideration.
“There is an urgent need for a waste disposal site, but the way the procurement process is being handled raises serious concerns,” Lukwago stated.
Lukwago added that despite the committee’s request for a progress report from experts on September 12, no response has been received to date. “We are still waiting for clarity on how the procurement process is progressing, but what we are seeing so far is unacceptable.”
In response, KCCA’s Deputy Executive Director, David Luyimbazi, defended the ongoing process, highlighting that the delay is due to the need to do proper due diligence and clarified that the process can only be halted if there are no funds for land acquisition or if certain user requirements change.
“There are only two reasons this project could be stopped: lack of funds to purchase the land or changes in the user requirements and specifications,” Luyimbazi explained.
Luyimbazi also addressed Lukwago’s demand for transparency, noting that the requested reports are confidential. “Evaluation committee report requested by council is not something we can hand over to just anyone, it remains classified.”
By next week, KCCA expects to complete its review of the potential waste disposal sites.
The technical wing is confident that by next week, they will finalize the land review and secure the 16 billion shillings earmarked to settle the Kiteezi landfill victims, which include compensating affected residents and purchasing the necessary land.
The land sought for waste disposal must meet specific criteria: it must be within 30 kilometers of Kampala, at least 200 acres in size, have clear documentation, not be located in a wetland, and must not be too close to major roads.