KCCA executives’ contracts ending amid service setback

Senior managers at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have less than two weeks to the end of their contracts, leaving the government scrambling to sort out their employment at a time the city is grappling with multiple social services hiccups.

State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan affairs, Mr Kabuye Kyofatogabye, told Monitor last week that the contract under which the executive director, Ms Dorothy Kisaka, serves will run out on July 23.

Others affected are her deputy, Mr David Luyimbazi, and Ms Grace Akullo, the director for administration and human resources.

President Museveni appointed the officials, who lead the authority’s technical wing, in June 2020. The Ministry of Public Service approved their appointments on July 21, 2020, in accordance with the necessary legal requirements, for a three-year term.

Mr Kyofatogabye said his ministry has taken up the matter with the Public Service Commission following a June 27 meeting chaired by the substantive minister for Kampala, Ms Minsa Kabanda.

“The fault was with these officials who delayed to notify us on time but as I am speaking, we are working with the Public Service Commission to ensure that their contracts are renewed,” Mr Kyofatogabye said on July 6.

During the meeting, it was agreed that affected directors submit their job appraisal reports for perusal by the ministry. 

A follow-up July 5 letter was addressed to Ms Kisaka, reminding her to deliver the appraisals to the minister’s office by July 7. Mr Kyofatogabye did not say whether the officials complied. He, however, insisted that “there should not be any cause for alarm”.

Ms Kisaka did not answer our repeated calls for a comment by presstime, while Mr Luyimbazi declined to speak about the matter when contacted on Monday.

The city spokesperson, Mr Simon Kasyate, was also noncommittal, noting that he did not “have [the] authority to comment”. 

“The best person would be the President, who is the appointing authority. But suffice to note that all the three individuals are in office doing their work because it is the service they lead with. They will do their work until that day comes. We can’t speculate what will happen next,” he said.

Background

For years, KCCA’s technical wing has been at loggerheads with its political arm, headed by the elected Lord Mayor, leading to paralysis in social service delivery. Ms Kisaka’s predecessor, Mr Andrew Kitaka, who briefly held the office from 2018 was sacked in June 2020.

Before that, Ms Jennifer Musisi first appointed in 2011, had presided over the most explosive period of KCCA’s existence, constantly locked in turf wars with Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago -- who repeatedly accused of her illegally usurping his roles.

With the city leadership divided, service delivery was hampered by the polarisation amid allegations of massive politically-inspired corruption, Ms Musisi resigned in 2018 with two years left on her third term contract. 

Her contract had twice been renewed. It was believed that Ms Musisi’s confrontational management style and thinly-disguised disregard for Kampala’s political leaders was intentional – a calculated inclination allegedly informed by an unspoken desire to advance President Museveni’s wishes to undercut the political opposition in Kampala. 

While the city has long been an Opposition stronghold, tensions have eased slightly under Ms Kisaka’s tenure. 

Lord Mayor Lukwago, an opposition stalwart in the Forum for Democratic Change party, recognises as much. 

“I must give credit to the current Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka. She attends the meetings, makes contributions and she participates in all processes, unlike her predecessor who always wanted to operate from elsewhere,” Mr Lukwago was quoted saying in the media on March 31, 2021.

Under the Kampala Capital City Authority Act, 2010, the technical wing headed by the executive director provides strategic guidance and day-to-day running of city affairs.

The present directors’ contract are running out at a time when KCCA is taking baby steps in its uphill struggle to repair dilapidated city infrastructure, including its heavily potholed roads, outdated and overwhelmed drainage systems in unplanned neighbourhoods bordered by ever-expanding slums. Those efforts are, however, hampered by severe funding shortfalls running into billions of shillings.