Lukwago faults govt in awarding Kiteezi dumpsite deal

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has asked interim Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) boss Frank Rusa reject signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Jaspong Group of Companies without adhering to legal procedures under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) Act.

This comes after Kampala minister Kabuye Kyofatogabye announced that the Kiteezi  landfill had been handed over to a Ghanaian investor from the Jaspong Group, to decommission it at no cost, despite a budget of Shs70 billion for the activity to stabilize the landfill.

Speaking to the media at City Hall on Monday, Lukwago said the bid was awarded to the Jaspong Group without going through the open bidding process, which would have allowed competent entities to express interest in partnering with KCCA.

“We understand that Rusa is under immense pressure to sign an MoU with the Jaspong Group, which was already prepared by the Attorney General’s office, before all these transactions are processed through the value chain as required by law,” Lukwago indicated.

He added: “All the transactions and processes have been exclusively handled by the central government without any recognition of the role of the City executive committee, the Authority council, and the division urban councils, all of which are required to have due regard for the procurement process.”

According to the law, for the government to acquire goods or services, the process must be meticulous to ensure value for money.

Section 43 of the PPDA Act 2003 specifically provides that “all public procurement and disposal shall be conducted in accordance with the following principles: non-discrimination; transparency, accountability, and fairness; maximization of competition and ensuring value for money; confidentiality; economy and efficiency; and promotion of ethics.”

Lukwago also revealed that on October 4, the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) issued a notice of intended application for a license for the development of the proposed 20 MW Ddundu waste-to-energy power project. 

Regarding compensation, Lukwago suggested that the Shs4.6 billion appropriated for stabilizing the Kiteezi slopes should be reallocated towards compensating and resettling the victims of the Kiteezi landslide and households mapped within the buffer zone. At least 35 people were killed during the August 10 garbage collapse that also damaged dozens of homes.

“Compensation should be adequate and not mere tokenism, and it should be based on proper valuation of their assets. We are also outraged by the Kampala ministry’s decision to give out handouts of only Shs2 million to the victims,” he said.

Asked to comment on the matter, Rusa told Monitor that he had received the MoU in mention.   

"It is true that we have received the MoU from the Jaspong Group but we have sent it to the Attorney General, who is the principal legal advisor to the government, for his opinion," Rusa said.

He emphasized that: "Nothing has been signed yet, and I have not appended my signature to anything.”