{UAH} WHY M7 PICKED PM RUGUNDA’S ADVISOR & LORD MAYOR LUKWAGO’S DEPUTY TO HEAD KCCA

By Mulengera Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has refused to appoint Eng Andrew Kitaka as the substantive Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director after the director of engineering held the position in acting capacity for almost two years since iron lady Jennifer Musisi quit in 2018.

 

Kitaka received the news of his rejection in quarantine over Covid19 as cases were reported at the authority. But as Mulengera News recently reported, the controversies at KCCA were partly responsible for the exposure of fake Covid19 results. (See: INTERNAL KCCA WARS & HOW M7 DISCOVERED FAKE COVID RESULTS).

The core functions of the KCCA ED are provision of leadership to the authority, accountability of funds, coordination of the implementation of national and council policies and projects, provision of technical advice to the mayor, monitoring of service provision, and ensuring order in the city, among others.

According to sources close to the presidency, while it is unfair to judge Eng Kitaka for the short time he has been acting ED, he lost an opportunity to impress the appointing authority in almost two years he had at the helm of KCCA. For all this time, Museveni has been closely monitoring Kitaka but thought it safer to find another person.

The President reportedly bundled Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and KCCA for blame in revenue shortfalls. Kampala contributes the largest amount of revenue to the country. But corruption and other forms of city mismanagement mean loss of tax revenue.

Additionally, although dealing with Museveni's political opposition in Kampala might not be in any ED's appointment letter, it is common knowledge that any head of the Authority must do so, at least learning from Lukwago's reign as Kampala mayor. On this front, Kitaka seemed to lack the zeal and boldness exhibited by his predecessor Musisi who openly dared political opposition, particularly Lord  Lukwago, a close ally of Dr Kizza Besigye, President Museveni's fiercest political opponent to date.

Overall, Museveni found a drought of integrity at KCCA, and he made it clear in his letter announcing the nomination of Dorothy Kisaka as Kitaka's replacement and Eng David Luyimbazi Ssali as her deputy. "We have used integrity hunting to identify the persons mentioned above," Museveni wrote to Ralph Ochan, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission.

Recent sackings at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the suggested changes at National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) where Museveni advised against the renewal of Executive Director  Judy Obiter Gama also speak volumes on the president's view on the integrity of Kitaka and his acting deputy Sam Sserunkuma. In recent days, Museveni has vowed to send to hell all corrupt officials. From URA, to NIRA and now KCCA, Museveni seems to be on the track to clean up his government's agencies.

Kisaka, Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda's senior governance advisor, recently hit headlines when she was chosen to serve as the administrator of Covid-19 Response Fund Task Force. But Kisaka's qualifications and political connections go beyond her role on the taskforce and being a PM's advisor.

Before she was appointed the PM's advisor, a role she has juggled with that of Deputy Head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, Kisaka had served the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) for four years as a commissioner at the party's Electoral Commission between 2010 and 2014.

A lawyer by training having graduated from Makerere University Law School in 1987, Kisaka was a managing partner at Kiyimba-Kisaka & Co Advocates between 1999 and 2014. President Museveni recently hinted on his preference for people with law and ICT backgrounds when he sacked NIRA boss Gama. (See: END OF THE ROAD FOR INCUMBENT OBITER AS M7 DEMANDS ROLE IN NEW NIRA ED HIRING).

For the director gender, community services role, Museveni nominated Sarah Kanyike, the Makindye East Councillor. Kanyike, also Lord Mayor Lukwago's deputy, will replace Harriet Mudondo. Although she is respected as a great administrator, Kanyike's nomination raises questions on the spirit of the appointment – whether it is to offer the Authority better leadership or weaken Lukwago, Besigye's deputy president at the parallel People's Government (PG), as the president moves to weaken opposition in the city ahead of 2021 general elections.

Other nominations included that of Daniel Okello Ayen as director public health and environment, and Grace Akullo, who was transferred from the Ministry of Public Service to replace Richard Lule as director human resource and administration.

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

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