Ministers of Kampala are frustrating the passing of the amendments in the KCCA Act 2010, Speaker of Uganda’s Rebecca Kadaga has said.
She accuses the Authority’s political wing of playing ping pong each time the Bill is brought before Parliament for consideration.
Kadaga made the remarks today while receiving a petition from Rubaga Division councilors who petitioned Parliament over failure to pass into law the Bill, saying the delays have left them incapacitated from serving their electorates as it limits their powers and it all concentrates in the office of the Executive Director of KCCA.
Musa Mabirizi, Chairperson Rubaga Division Councilor told the Speaker that the leadership at Division councils is only for formality as the leaders at this stage are not given powers to have any input in regard to planning, budgeting and financing for their Divisions.
He says all the issues identified at the grass root are never implemented as everything is centralized at the city hall where the ED of KCCA decided what has to be done.
In her response to their concern, Kadaga is frustrated that the Ministers responsible for Kampala are playing hide and seek games every time the bill is put on the order paper for the second reading where amendments as requested by both the division mayors and councilors have to be discussed to either be passed or dropped.
She said that similar issues were raised by Division mayors that they too have no voice in the planning
“We had hoped that with this amendment bill, we would deal with that. But I can’t understand why the Ministers aren’t willing to come back. You know it’s a proposal that came in 2015 and our Committee filed a report in the House and the Minister said we need more time to further consult. Each time I put it on the order paper, they disappear, they haven’t come back to complete this Bill,” Kadaga said.
The councilors also protested charges put to the public by private companies contracted by KCCA to collect garbage saying this should have been responsibility of KCCA.
