KAMPALA— Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has warned Kampala Minister Beti Kamya against taking city councillors to Kyankwazi Leadership Institute for training.
According to Lukwago, Kamya has set November 12 to 19 to conduct training for councillors with an ambiguous intention.
“You do not have the legal mandate to deal with authority councilors. You are not the political head of Kampala,” Lukwago said.
The Lord Mayor was addressing journalists at his office today. He said Kamya wants the councillors to interface with President Museveni and discuss the age limit bill.
Currently, Opposition parties FDC and DP dominate the authority. Last month, Opposition councillors led by Lukwago had planned to move to the Constitutional Square to protest the amendment of Article 102(b) of the Constitution.
Lukwago was arrested before leaving his residential home in Rubaga. When contacted, Kamya said she was busy and had no time to respond to Lukwago’s allegations.
But in the letter seen by PML Daily this afternoon, Kamya wrote to the city executive director Jennifer Musisi informing her that the councillors whose names appeared on the attached list had been admitted to attend the Leadership Training Programme at Kyankwanzi.
The letter also stated that the training course is fully sponsored by the Institute.
Analysts speak out
Ever since President Museveni appointed Kamya, she has never agreed with Lukwago and in many cases they openly criticize each other.
Crispus Kaheru, a social critic and coordinator of the Coordinator of the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy, said Kamya’s mission was to turn-around a rebellious Kampala and neutralize the political opposition.
“For her it is about delivering an 80% win for President Museveni in 2021. She said this as soon as she was appointed Minister,” Kaheru argued.
He added that Kamya seems to have understood her job description a little better than her predecessor, Frank Tumwebaze, who tried to play his ministerial role, re-organising KCCA amid a lot of controversy.
City councillors summoned
Lukwago is to convene a special meeting next week on Tuesday for authority members to pronounce themselves on the matter.
“Before the Kyankwanzi gathering purport to take a decision on their behalf on this controversial issue of lifting the presidential age limit,” Lukwago said.
