KCCA seeks Shs600m to stage covid remembrance parade

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has tabled a Shs600 million budget before Parliament for approval for a Covid-19 remembrance parade to be held in Kampala.

The request for Shs600 million was put before the House Committee on Presidential Affairs chaired by Ms Jessica Ababiku that interfaced with KCCA leaders to present and defend the draft budget for the 2024/25 Financial Year which commences in July.

The fund is meant to cover activities that among others include tourism within the city together with the Covid-19 remembrance parade, an idea said to have been borrowed from Canada.

However, Moroto Municipality legislator, Mr Francis Adome demanded the city authorities clarify on the said figure.

“I am not understanding what they mean here by the Covid-19 remembrance parade. Is it a country wide parade and who is going to be remembered because that is part of tourism. I don’t understand what they mean by that and I am seeing a development of Shs600M that was allocated for that purpose as part of the activities,” Mr Adome wondered.

In response, the Deputy Executive Director of KCCA, Mr David Luyimbazi indicated the parade is meant to enable authority to honor the lives of those lost to the pandemic while on duty and appreciate medical personnel whose services were highly pivotal during the tough times of the pandemic throughout the country.

“This is more of a remembrance campaign, many people died, many businesses closed. We can’t wish them away. Many countries are remembering this Covid-19 event as part of appreciating the sacrifices people made, the doctors, so this is partly tourism, partly remembrance. So this was an idea that was borrowed from Canada, where they are embracing it, so we thought Kampala would borrow it also anchor itself among other cities,” Mr Luyimbazi said.

In a public notice dated January 8, KCCA through an initiative of the Ministers for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, "has received funding offer from Canadian partners to hold a Covid-19 remembrance parade" to celebrate resilience and remember those who lost their lives and livelihoods during the almost two years period of the pandemic. 

Ms Dorothy Kisaka, the Executive Director of KCCA said the process will also involve branding, purposed to polish the image of the city.

She added; “We feel there is a lot of negative vibe talking about Kampala, but can we collectively begin a language that is identifiable about products of who we are as a city. The goal is not so much to market Kampala to others, but take collective responsibility about the well being of our city. So we as administrators must lead in that, we must demonstrate by providing for that under language, under vibe around what Kampala is and what it can be.”

Submissions made before the House committee on Presidential Affairs shows that KCCA will during the said parade hold a Kampala Tourism Expo, polish city tourism brand, digitize Kampala's tourism information centre as well maintenance of 10 tourism sites around Kampala.

In the said process, KCCA plans to have branded items that will be given to persons who visit the city so that can they can be taken as souvenirs.

In the 2024/2025 national budget, Shs806.4 billion has been allocated to KCCA for activities and services. Of the above amount, Shs274 billion will be availed by the government while Shs521.76 billion will be borrowed.

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