KCCA Councilors Clash with City Executive Committee Over Delayed Waste Management Report

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councilors headed by the KCCA speaker have accused the City Executive Committee (CEC) headed by the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago of failing to present a report on waste management in Kampala in time.

The meeting, which took place on September 17, 2024, at the KCCA city hall in Kampala, was meant for the City Executive Committee to present a report on the waste management in Kampala to the KCCA councilors, though it ended in a fight between the councilors.

The speaker of KCCA, Zahara Luyirika, accused the CEC of failing to present a report on waste management in Kampala, where the recent tragedy happened at Kiteezi Landfill, adding that they were instead intimidated by goons said to be hired by the CEC to cause chaos in the city hall.

“All we asked for was a report for the Kampala waste management and the Kiteezi landfill collapse, but instead of presenting the report, goons were sent to beat us, and my deputy was badly beaten up in the city hall. The CEC were given a week to present the report, but all they have been having are excuses. So we demand an apology from them, or else the council will be adjourned till the apology is presented,” Luyirika said.

John Mary Sebawufu, the Minister of City Works and Maintenance who was present on behalf of the City Executive Committee, declined to apologize, stating that the report was available but he was not given an opportunity to present it rather was demanded to apologize to the councilors and the speaker, KCCA, for the delay.

“I will not apologize because we have the report ready. The delay came from the technical team that delayed submitting their report. Instead of receiving the report that we had, the speaker demanded that we should apologize for the delay or else the council will be adjourned until the apology is made,” he stated.

As the scuffle between the two parties intensifies, the issue of waste management remains unresolved, and the Kiteezi victims are still in limbo, as some are still living in the temporary settlement (tents) and not resettled in permanentsettlements.