{UAH} KCCA:STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT ON THE NEGOTIATIONS

STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT ON THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE RT. HON. PRIME MINISTER/LEADER OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS ON KAMPALA CAPITAL CITY AUTHORITY (KCCA) AFFAIRS - 19TH DECEMBER 2013

GOVERNMENT FAULTS ON NEGOTIATIONS AGAIN

Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Colleagues, on the 25th day of November, 2013 I brought to the attention of this House the political impasse at KCCA, following the refusal by Government to respect the Order of Court halting the process that was commencing at the Council for the impeachment of the Lord Mayor of the Authority. The Government response through the leader of Government Business was that those matters were being handled by Government and proposed that we sit down to discuss and dialogue over them.

My negotiation team that included Hon. Mathias B Nsubuga, M.P Bukoto south; Hon. Abdul Katuntu, the Shadow Attorney General; Hon. Medard Sseggona Lubega, the Shadow Minister for justice and Constitutional Affairs; together with Mr. Peter Walubiri and Mr. Caleb Alaka, the lawyers for the Lord Mayor commenced negotiations with the view that Government respects the order of Court. The government side was led by the Prime Minister Rt.Hon. Amama Mbabazi, Attorney General, Peter Nyombi and Team, and Kiwanuka Kiryowa Lawyer for KCCA and UMEME.

Rt. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Colleagues, we proceeded with negotiations in the sincere hope that the Government side was as committed as ourselves to the dialogue as a means of resolving conflict and allowing normalcy to reign again as opposed to impunity and asserting the rule of might.

Together with a number of other stakeholders, we hoped that the voice of reason was going to prevail. Unfortunately, it was a game of tricks instead.

It was evident from the proceedings that Government was engaging in a game of delaying tactics to defeat reason which we were very keen on giving a chance. We have endured the pain and agony of being called names; the people of Kampala who elected the leader maintained their patience in the hope that the negotiations were genuine. Alas, the Government approach was and remains insisting on claims of illegalities of the court processes as they as they buy time to prepare for by-elections and this we could not be party to.

Allow me register my profound disappointment with the state for its failure to sustain and engage in a meaningful negotiation about the impasse in Kampala. The talks have thus collapsed. For the last 2 weeks or so we have been meeting with the Prime Minster Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi and his team to try and get solutions to the standoff between the Lord Mayor on one hand and the Executive Director and the Minister of Kampala on the other.

Things to note: Forgery of report by the Chairperson and the Vice chairperson of Public Service Committee, beating of the lawyer of the Lord Mayor, beating Kampala Members of Parliament e.tc.

In our view, the negotiations were supposed to be preceded by total and unconditional respect for the Court Order that restrained the state from engaging in unlawful activity. Yet this illegality continues to manifest even now in the heavy deployment of the police and other para military forces at the Lord Mayor's office, making it difficult for his smooth operation and work.

The talks had been envisaged on the grounds that for the harmonious development of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and peace for our country we need to have a cohesive administration for the Authority. And this we did even when we knew that the courts and therefore the law was on our side but we were willing to compromise and that is the reason we went for dialogue. It has however come out very clearly now that harmony and peace are not the least of the intensions on the part of Government.

The cause of the collapse of the talks seems to be founded in sheer bad faith and the need to remain oppressive to the elected leadership of the city. I am saddened to note that the notion that "nobody needs chaos in Kampala" is no longer tenable. It is fast becoming clear that government has an interest in a chaotic Kampala. There is definitely something government wants about Kampala that is beyond negotiation.

You will recall that the first major dialogue that the NRM regime had with the opposition in 1996 failed as a result of the demand by government that the then National Political Commissar Hon. Kiyonga Crispus chairs the process all through when the other parties in the dialogue argued for rotational chairmanship. Inevitably, the talks collapsed.

But just in case my friend Mr. Amama Mbabazi, Madam Jenifer Musisi, and President Museveni thought that we could go into negotiations for anything because we are feeling a defeated lot, they will be called to think again. Rather they will be advised to note the following;

1. That Kampala does not belong to them but all of us all.

2. We know that their approach to dealing with issues and situations often is guided by the must-win mentality.

3. We are also aware that their perspective of handling anything is that of violence, abuse and crude brutality.

4. That as the days go by we are more prepared to deal with them in these tastes in manners that might shock them.

5. That above all, we are a peaceful and straightforward lot but who have immeasurable capacities to engage in tricks, violence or even force in the same manner that any other group of human would.
Otherwise it should be noted that the Opposition has over the years been very open to dialogue. We have consistently called for a National Dialogue and this remains the ideal need for this country.

We must have an all-inclusive dialogue involving all interests like all political parties, the civil society, the media, the religious fraternity, all gender, the traders and indeed the academia. We need to have this conversation on how we want to move this country forward.

The uncertainty being caused by government's operations in trickeries will not help this country.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY



Nathan Nandala Mafabi (MP)
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT

--
"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"