Lukwago is Kampala's problem- Kyofatogabye

He has never approved any KCCA budget; instead, he plays political games of devolution. His goal is to make sure no budget is approved. So, then how will you know which department is underfunded or quarterly funded when you have failed to do your job

Kampala Minister, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has attributed the city's persistent challenges to the leadership of Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

While appearing on Sanyuka Television, Kyofatogabye criticized Lukwago for his failure to approve budgets in a timely manner, which he claims has led to the underfunding of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), significantly impacting challenges such as waste management.

"He has never approved any KCCA budget; instead, he plays political games of devolution. His goal is to make sure no budget is approved. So, then how will you know which department is underfunded or quarterly funded when you have failed to do your job?" he questioned.

He added, "The problem of Kampala is Erias Lukwago . He failed to approve the budget until the council prevailed over and evoked his powers and approved the budget," he said.

On Wednesday, Lukwago referred to KCCA as a "dysfunctional institution," cautioning newly appointed Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki about the difficulties she may encounter.

Lukwago emphasised the governance challenges, pointing out that the current power struggles within the institution are hindering its capacity to effectively carry out its responsibilities.

The outgoing ED has talked about the problem of governance. It is important. There is something we are missing here- corporate governance. It has totally failed us here. There's no chain of command in this institution. There are so many power centres," Lukwago remarked.

In response, Kyofatogabye held Lukwago accountable for the governance challenges, arguing that he has not empowered the city divisions.

"You have been in leadership for 15 years, and only in the 14th year do you realize that the divisions need authority? You are merely playing political games," he asserted.

He also accused the Lord Mayor of failing to provide accountability for his budget to the council and the Kampala Ministry.

"Every year, he travels, and we spend $15,000 on each trip using public funds, but he neither provides a report nor shares the lessons learned. You must present your budget to the council; he is required to report to the council and the minister." the minister said.