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Leadership crisis haunts KCCA
Kampala Minister Beti Olive Kamya. FILE PHOTO
On December 20, 2018, Kampala Minister Beti Olive Kamya wrote to the President informing him of how she had appointed Mr Andrew Kitaka, as acting executive director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), to replace Ms Jennifer Musisi, who had resigned.
In the same letter, a copy which Daily Monitor has seen, the minister further informed the President that she had maintained Mr Samuel Serunkuuma as acting deputy executive director.
Mr Serunkuuma has been holding the same portfolio since the resignation of Dr Judith Tukahirwa in 2017.
“…as we await your instructions or guidance on this matter, after consultations with the Prime Minister, the minister of Public Service and Public Service Commission, I have assigned the duties of the executive director to Andrew Kitaka Mubiru whose substantive designation is director of engineering and technical services in KCCA,” she wrote.
By end of June this year, President Museveni was expected to appoint the substantive executive director following the expiry of Mr Kitaka’s six months tenure.
But nearly one year later, the President is yet to appoint a substantive KCCA executive director and deputy executive director, respectively.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Ms Catherine Bitarakwate, recently said a public officer is supposed to hold another office in acting capacity for only six months as per the public standing orders. When asked about the leadership crisis at City Hall, she referred this reporter to Public Service Commission.
On September 9, the chairperson of Public Service Commission, Justice Ralph Ochan, wrote to Ms Kamya, saying Mr Kitaka’s stay in office despite expiry of his contract could raise audit queries.
“…the decisions of the executive director, if challenged in Courts of law, would jeopardise service delivery and also lead to litigation in Courts of Law. In addition, Mr Kitaka’s continued unregularised stay in office was likely to lead to audit queries,” Justice Ochan wrote.
KCCA Act
According to Section 19 of the KCCA Act, the executive director shall be responsible for the management of all public funds of the authority and accountable to Parliament.
Ms Kamya on Friday said it is the prerogative of the President to appoint the executive director.
“I have already brought it to the attention of the President regarding the expiry of Mr Kitaka’s tenure and he has promised to appoint the executive director soon.
“The lord mayor should stop politicising the whole issue and know that certain issues ought to be handled admistratively,” she said.
But Kampala lord mayor Erias Lukwago said: “Mr Kitaka’s tenure expired about five months ago and if he cannot be made substantive, then the appointing authority should appoint a substantive executive director,” he said.
Budget woes
Defiance: Recently, Mr Kitaka marched out of a council meeting after councillors blocked him from presenting the institution’s budget for 2020/2021 Financial Year, arguing that he had no mandate because his tenure had expired.
But the Minister invoked her powers under Section 79 (3) of the KCCA Act and directed Mr Kitaka to prepare and submit the budget framework paper to the Minister of Finance without council’s input before the deadline expired.
According to the Act, the Minister may veto decisions taken by the Authority which appear to be illegal and where the Authority fails to perform any of its duties, the minister may by writing, direct the Authority to carry out those duties.
But the Lord Mayor argues that the minister’s act is selfish because elected leaders at City Hall did not have an input in the budget yet they are mandated under Section 49(1) of the Act to formulate, approve and execute its budget and plans.
Mr Lukwago and councillors have since resolved to petition the Speaker of Parliament regarding the ongoing leadership and budget impasse at City Hall.
