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KCCA director queries giveaway of 10,000 pavers to Owino market
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) deputy executive director, Mr David Luyimbazi. PHOTO/KCCA
What you need to know:
“…please avail my office with the following; who authorised the activity, the purpose of the concrete pavers at Owino Market, and the budget used for this activity and planned activities or purpose,’’ Mr David Luyimbazi, KCCA deputy executive director
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) deputy executive director, Mr David Luyimbazi, has queried the manner in which 10,000 concrete pavers were transferred from KCCA’s Kyanja Concrete Yard to St Balikuddembe (Owino) market for unknown use.
Mr Luyimbazi’s concerns are contained in a leaked internal memo dated October 27, which he wrote to the director of engineering and technical services, Mr Justus Akankwansa.
He tasked Mr Akankwasa to explain how the pavers were transported to the market without due processes.
“…please avail my office with the following; who authorised the activity, the purpose of the concrete pavers at Owino Market, and the budget used for this activity and planned activities or purpose,’’ Mr Luyimbazi wrote.
His memo is also copied to the KCCA executive director and town clerks for both Central and Nakawa divisions.
The directorate of engineering and technical services is among the directorates which are directly supervised by Mr Luyimbazi hence he is answerable to any queries raised about the operations of the directorate.
However, Mr Akankwansa couldn’t be reached for a comment yesterday.
The pavers had been requested for by the interim chairperson of St Balikuddembe (Owino) Market through the KCCA executive director, Ms Dorothy Kisaka, on September 30.
Her letter, a copy which Daily Monitor has seen, was received by the executive director’s office on October 1.
Ms Susan Kushaba explained that the pavers would be used to seal part of the market adjacent to Kafumbe Mukasa Road to mitigate flooding.
She expressed concern that the continuous flooding has displaced many vendors.
“…the market area is used by women who sit on the ground with their merchandise while trading. The nuisance of dust, storm water and the unpaved ground surface is a great inconvenience to the women,’’ she wrote.
This newspaper has learnt that sealing levelling of the affected area hasn’t started. Traders accuse Mr Luyimbazi of halting the exercise yet it was approved by the executive director.
“We are now stuck and wondering why Mr Luyimbazi could halt the exercise yet the situation on ground is very bad. What are his interests exactly?” Mr Kushaba asked.
