Prime
Lukwago: Councillors want me out of office
What you need to know:
The Lord Mayor claims more than 21 councillors met with the President to ‘finalise the process’ ofremoving him from office.
KAMPALA
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwayo has accused a section of city councillors of meeting President Museveni to plot his removal from office as the controversy surrounding the KCCA tribunal takes a ‘new twist’.
In a September 23 dossier received by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Lukwago says on September 21 that 21 councillors and some Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials met the President at State House - Entebbe to finalise the process of his removal from office.
However, Mr Tamale Mirundi, the Presidential Press Secretary, said in a telephone interview: “I have heard Lukwago is alleging that the President is bribing councillors for his removal from office, which is false. The President has been following these issues but does not necessarily mean he has interest of removing an elected person.”
Mr Lukwago, quoting his impeccable sources said, the team that met the President discussed the “nitty-gritty” of all the legal and political intricacies involved in the entire process. Among other things, Mr Lukwago said the team agreed on the eventual zeroing in on Mr Richard Todwong, the acting minister for Kampala who was tasked to do among others: “Coordinate the councillors and handle the logistical matters required. The possibility of delaying of the parliamentary select committee report on KCCA matters and have a tribunal report released first,” he wrote.
Mr Todwong denied such a meeting and said he wants Parliament to dispose of the pending petition that has delayed for 10 months. Addressing a news conference on Monday Mr Lukwago said: “The meeting was held on Saturday before the President left for New York (UN general assembly).”
Telephone calls to Kampala Executive Director Jennifer Musisi were diverted. However, KCCA deputy spokesperson, Robert Kalumba, without giving details said: “She (Ms Musisi) met with the President, but what is wrong with her meeting him.”
According to Mr Lukwago, the councillors who attended the meeting included those who appended their signatures on the petition seeking his removal – majority of whom are NRM councillors and some opposition councillors.
There are two pending reports – the KCCA tribunal report and the parliamentary select committee report findings into the mismanagement of KCCA.
