KCCA Tribunal Sworn In

A three member probe team appointed to investigate the censure petition against Erias Lukwago, the Lord Mayor Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA has sworn in. The tribunal led by Anti Corruption Court judge, Catherine Bamugemereire was sworn in on Monday morning by Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, at his chambers at the High Court, Kampala. Other members of the tribunal who took both the secrecy oath and that of being a member of the tribunal are Alfred Okello Oryem, a lawyer and Lakidi Ocaya, a retired civil servant.  The tribunal was instituted by Frank Tumwebaze, the minister in-charge of Kampala on June 05th. It came after 17 KCCA councilors signed a four page petition seeking to censure Lukwago.

In their petition, the councilors cite abuse of office, incompetence and misbehavior as grounds for the censure petition. While commissioning the tribunal, the Principal Judge cautioned the members to act without bias, faithfully and in a judicial way. Bamwine cautioned the probe team   to apply the natural rules of justice by affording both sides a right to be heard. Peter Kawujju, the KCCA spokesperson who witnessed the swearing in said the investigations will take two months.  Section 12 (3) (a) and (b) of the KCCA Act provides grounds for censuring the lord Mayor from office due to incompetence, abuse of office and misbehavior.

Under the abuse of office ground, the councilors contend that Lord Mayor knowing the dire need to expand the revenue base of the Authority and aware of section 7 (1)  C of the KCCA Act, has intentionally and willfully engaged in acts of public incitement against payment of city dues which have not only impeded/sabotaged the authority revenue collection. They further alleged that Lukwago has engaged in divisive and inciting acts under the cover of monitoring KCCA programs which have resulted in destruction of property, merchandise, livelihood, suffering and deaths of innocent citizens in Kampala.

Under the grounds of incompetence;  the councilors accuse the Lord Mayor of among others; failing to convene ordinary authority meetings to transact business of the Authority, preferring special/crisis Authority meetings contrary to section 12 (1) (e) of the KCCA Act. He is also being accused of willful misuse of information accessed by virtue of his office to misinform the public, propagate lies against the officers and the institution of the KCCA. Under the ground of misconduct/misbehavior, the councilors accuse the Lord Mayor of persistent attacks on the Authority Technical staff as corrupt, and the councilors as having been bribed by the KCCA Executive Director,  Jenifer Musisi in the media.

They also accuse him of use of abusive language during the authority meetings and in the media where he refers to the Authority members as being narrow minded (myopic) and President Museveni as being narrow minded as well.