Committee recommends scrapping of political head title from KCCA Act

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Presidential Affairs committee of Parliament has recommended the scrapping of the title “political head of the Capital City” from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) 2010 Act.

The committee which has been scrutinising the amendment bill of the KCCA Act says the title, political head is irrelevant. The amendment bill contained a clause that was meant to transfer the title from Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago to Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Beti Olive Kamya.

Lukwago has been crying out loud, accusing the minister of usurping his power and posturing around as the political head of the city. There are litigations in court over the issue.

Lukwago wants court to stop Kamya from performing “political duties” which are supposed to be under his docket.

The committee chaired by Adjumani Woman MP, Abablku Jesca says the lord mayor and the minister have been bickering over a title that is useless because being “a political head is not a function.”

The committee notes that the principal Act elaborates the chain of command in the capital city where the lord mayor in the performance of his or her functions is answerable to the council and the minister.

“The Committee further recommends that the proposed amendment to provide for the minister as the political head of the capital city be deleted and that the provision which provides for the lord mayor as the political head of the city be repealed from the principal act,” the report says.

The committee also rejected a clause to change modus operandi for election of lord mayor from universal adult suffrage to an electoral college of councillors.

“The committee observes that a mayor elected from among the councillors by the councillors would not be a representative of the people but rather a representative of the councillors and only in council. Further still, if parliament goes ahead to amend the principal Act as proposed by the minister, it would amount to disenfranchisement of the people of Kampala from electing their mayor,” the reports says.

The lord mayor is currently the speaker of the council. The committee accepted a clause supposed to establish of office of speaker and deputy speaker who are to be elected from the councillors at council and urban divisions’ level where division mayors are also performing both executive and legislative functions.

The committee rejected a clause meant to set up education qualifications for councillors. The bill proposed qualifications of members of parliament to equally apply to the KCCA council.

“The Committee finds that most of the stakeholders who were consulted did not agree with the proposed amendment that a councillor should qualify to be elected Member of Parliament. The said stakeholders were comfortable with the status quo,” it says. The principal Acts says councillors should citizens of Uganda.

It further rejected a clause meant to give the Minister power to preside over scrutiny for removal the lord mayor and deputy lord mayor from office. The committee says the current status where a tribunal consisting judge of the High Court as the chairperson is instituted to investigate petition for removal of lord mayor be maintained.

Lukwago was impeached in 2013 after a tribunal chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemeirere recommended so.

However High Court Judge Lydia Mugambe, however, declared the impeachment process null and void.

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