The honeymoon that had brought temporally calm at city hall could have finally ended following new power struggles that threaten to tear the leadership of KCCA apart and bring back the Musisi – Lukwago scenarios that subsided after Jenifer Musisi’s exit last year.
Highly placed sources in KCCA have noted that the emerging power struggles between the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, and the Acting Executive Director Eng. Andrew Kitaka could lead to a fall out which could again turn Kampala Capital City Authority into a battleground it has been for over seven years of Musisi as ED.
Ever since Eng. Andrew Kitaka was appointed as acting ED, the leadership of Kampala Capital City had assumed a semblance of normalcy with the two contending power centers (Lord Mayors office and the ED’s office) in the authority moving fairly together.
Insiders say the harmonious environment at KCCA has been facilitated by Kitaka’s cautious approach in his dealings with Lukwago. It was also noted that Kitaka has been trying to avoid a Musisi- Lukwago scenario, and has always tried to avoid confrontational decisions against Lukwago, until last week when he appointed the governance board of Kampala City Authority Football Club (KCCA FC).
The technical and planning committee went ahead to announce Kitaka’s board and published it on the authority website. Unfortunately, the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago had his own plans and didn’t like it. Lukwago moved and appointed his own board claiming he only had lawful powers to appoint the board.
Lukwago who is also the patron of KCCA FC dismissed the football club board the KCCA ED Andrew Kitaka had appointed claiming the acting ED had no powers to appoint the board. Game on. The swords were drawn!
Sources also indicate that the move by the council to block the approval of the 2019/2020 budget for the authority presented by Kitaka on Friday was not an accident. With a majority of councilors in the authority, Lukwago dismissed the budget questioning Kitaka’s powers to present the budget in his acting capacity. Lukwago cited legal technicalities surrounding the matter of the Acting ED Andrew Kitaka whose office tenure in acting capacity expired as per public service standing orders.
Insiders say that the Lord Mayor is using issues in Kitaka’s appointment to settle a score since Public Service Commission had already written to the Minister for Kampala Hon. Betty Kamya over the matter, pending legal interpretation from the Attorney General.
Highly placed sources intimate that both Lukwago and Kitaka want to hold influence over KCCA Board whose appointees enjoy fat allowances whenever they sit, but also enjoy several privileges including foreign trips every time the football team has international engagements.
Kitaka had Martin Sekajja as the new Board Chairman replacing interim Aggrey Ashaba, and made Ashaba the assistant to Ssekajja. It is also alleged that Kitaka’s list had names proposed by Minister Betty Kamya.
Lukwago however, moved and appointed a different board committee, but retained Ssekajja as the Chairman, Makindye Mayor Ali Nganda Mulyanyama as the assistant and Aggrey Orishaba as the fans representative. Lukwagoa’s board had other members like club legend Tom Lwanga and former CEO David Tamale as the secretary.
The Kampala Capital City Authority Act 2010 (19) a, the ED is the head of public service in the authority, heads the administration of the authority including divisions and wards.
d, he is responsible for coordination and implementation of national and council policies, laws regulations and bylaws, programmes and projects.
i, he oversees the delivery of quality services to the population within the Capital City and take remedial action where service delivery standards are expected bellow minimum standards.
Watch the space.