Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councillors on Thursday put the deputy execuitve director of KCCA Eng David Luyimbazi and the director gender Esau Galukande on the spot over alleged mismanagement of city markets.
Deputy lord mayor Doreen Nyanjura presented a report about the management of public markets in Kampala in which she highlighted the plight of vendors. According to Nyanjura, vendors in Nakasero still pay electricity water, garbage collection, and toilet fees even when in 2020, President Museveni directed KCCA to repossess all public markets and suspend market fees.
At St. Balikuddembe formerly Owino market, Nyanjura noted that vendors are charged Shs 90,000 for each truck that delivers produce on top of the Shs 100,000 per month. Those operating in open spaces pay Shs 2,000 per day while stall operators pay between Shs 12,000 and Shs 13,500 per month.
Nyanjura also reported that some vendors from Owino and Nakasero markets accused the interim leadership of using security personnel to terrorize them. Nyanjura also cited Busega market, where some leaders are allegedly selling stalls at Shs 5 million and also extorting money from the public.
KCCA speaker Zahra Luyirika instructed KCCA deputy executive director Luyimbazi to explain why vendors were being subjected to fees that had been suspended by the president.
But Luyimbazi said he was not aware of any such fees, adding that KCCA was paying for utilities and collection of garbage in the markets. He added that KCCA was spending more than Shs 1.5 billion annually on utilities in markets. However, Luyirika and the councillors were not contented with Luyimbazi’s explanation.
“Are you aware that KCCA is collecting money from vendors? Are you aware that vendors are paying for garbage collection?” asked Luyirika.
About harassment of vendors by security personnel allegedly backed by the executive director Dorothy Kisaka, Kampala resident city commissioner (RCC) Hussein Huddu, and the interim leadership in Owino and Nakasero markets, Luyimbazi asked director Gender, Dr Esau Galukande to respond to the complaint, but he also declined.
Hakim Kizza Sawula, KCCA executive secretary for works says corruption among KCCA technical staff is causing chaos in the markets.
“The biggest challenge is the confusion which is brought about by our technical leaders – ranging from the executive director, deputy executive director, our directors who seem to be having some exchange of money every month. You know these people are well paid – the ED is paid Shs 36m monthly, the directors are paid Shs 26 monthly as a salary, but we get voices from these down markets that you could find a director getting [from] a certain market Shs 10m, in another market Shs 6m and in another Shs 3m. At the end of the day, that person collects more than Shs 30m extra to what they get as salary…So from each market, there is a range of money which is got depending on the seniority of your position,” Sawula submitted.
KCCA deputy speaker Nasur Masaba also blamed KCCA for failing to put in place a clear system to manage the markets. He said that there is a need to expedite the implementation of the KCCA Market Ordinance which was passed by the previous council.
“It doesn’t make sense if you, the ED you sit back with your people and keep saying; so and so go to this market, and the people you’re sending are the ones stealing from the vendors. You want to steal even the smallest penny from people who are selling tomatoes. So we want to disregard the bahaviour in which the executive director has been handling this issue,” said Masaba.
Adding: “Today [Thursday] she was supposed to appear and inform us exactly what is going on, she delegated the deputy ED who has come and is telling us nothing at all. And you [KCCA ED] are telling us you have been summoned by Gen [Salim] Saleh. It doesn’t make sense. As council, we have decided these people collecting illegal fees, toilet fees, garbage fees because we know KCCA has a mandate to collect these fees but we know these people are doing it illegally. And even when they collect that money doesn’t come back to KCCA.”
The council resolved to institute investigations against the executive director and the other directors. They also recommended that illegal fees collections stop immediately and the military deployed in markets including Owino and Nakasero be withdrawn.
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