Musaazi Namiti
The search for a substantive Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) executive director is going on in earnest after Dorothy Kisaka was fired over the Kiteezi garbage dump accident, which destroyed homes, killing more than 30 people.At the time of writing this article, she was languishing in prison, along with her former deputy and a former director of public health, having been remanded over the incident.
Currently, Frank Rusa is in acting capacity pending recruitment of the new director.Many qualified candidates, including Mr Rusa, have applied for the job, which entails managing Kampala as a modern city. A list that was circulating on social media last week shows there are more than 40 applicants.
But two names on that list, Richard Byarugaba and Robert Kabushenga, have sprung surprises.It is not clear if the two were asked to apply for the job, which — as many Ugandans have rightly argued on social media — will go not necessarily to the best candidate (at the interview) but the candidate President Museveni wants to fill the vacancy.And to be fair, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Mr Byarugaba and Mr Kabushenga applying for a job for which they are qualified even if the public thinks they are either in retirement or are on course for retirement.
It seems they want to serve the city in which they live or — broadly speaking — to serve their country.Yet on social media, young and middle-aged Ugandans are asking: If Mr Byarugaba and Mr Kabushenga are still applying for jobs, given their track record of holding well-paid positions in well-established institutions and the fact that they are candidates for retirement, who should retire?My view is that these gentlemen should not be viewed as retirees. Mr Byarugaba still wanted his MD job at the NSSF, but a clash he had with Labour and Gender minister Betty Amongi, who oversees the Fund, meant his contract could not be renewed. In fact, he took legal action, but court ruled against him.
Combo: Robert Kabushenga and Richard Byarugaba
Mr Kabushenga is not any different. Although he did announce on social media that he was retiring as Vision Group CEO, the Observer reported that he was, in fact, fired. The paper said he had tried to plead with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to prevail on his father, Yoweri Museveni, to let him continue in the job, but it was too late. He had to clear his desk.Some are saying that Mr Byarugaba and Mr Kabushenga are not struggling financially and should rest comfortably in retirement.
Mr Kabushenga, after all, is a well-known coffee farmer and Mr Byarugaba is credited for growing NSSF’s financial portfolio to Shs2 trillion.But appearances are deceptive. And if you want to know what retirement really means, here are some pointers from former UIA executive director Maggie Kigozi.
In 2015, Sunday Vision interviewed her about her retirement, and she said she was “fortunate” she had a well-paid job. But when the paper asked whether money from the businesses she embarked on after she left the UIA was footing all her bills, she said: "Like I said, the beginning is hard."
Then she added what seemed like a real clincher: “What I have noticed about retirement is that you lose your position in society. As the UIA executive director, you would walk into a room and everyone is eager to hear what you have to say. I travelled the world.
I have been to every continent. When you retire, all that suddenly goes and you're back to ordinary.”Maybe Mr Byarugaba and Mr Kabushenga are trying to avoid that.
Mr Namiti is a journalist and former Al Jazeera digital editor in charge of the Africa desk
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