Lukwago halts alternative land acquisition for waste management over report

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has has issued a directive halting the acquisition of alternative land for waste management. 
“I hereby invoke the powers of the Office of the Lord Mayor to direct that the processes for the acquisition of an alternative land for the establishment of waste management facility be forthwith halted until the CEC is furnished with a comprehensive progressive report for further management and Council consideration,” he said.
Mr Lukwago urged a team from the Inspectorate of Government (IG) to also expedite the process of releasing the long-awaited report on the Kiteezi calamity. This was after the Inspectorate swang into action to investigate the cause of the tragedy and bring to book responsible individuals within and outside KCCA.
His directive is in response to the September 17 chaos that erupted at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) City Hall following a botched council meeting to address Kampala’s waste management crisis.
KCCA’s City Executive Committee (CEC) team, which Mr Lukwago is part of, was accused by a section of councillors of failing to table a report on waste management, something he vehemently denied before journalists during a press briefing on September 18.
“On Tuesday, members of CEC were set to present a report about the Kiteezi tragedy and the aftermath. Unfortunately, the theatrics that characterised the council thwarted that process. It is very much regrettable, and it is a matter of great concern to us,” Mr Lukwago said.
Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District collapsed on August 10, killing more than 35 people, as well as destroying property worth millions of shillings. The dumpsite had overwhelmingly grown after 28 years. CEC was expected to give recommendations on the way forward on curbing such calamities in the future.
Mr Lukwago said they were not given a chance to present the report.
“Unfortunately, the team was not accorded the opportunity to present a very important report where we had made quite instructive recommendations to address the current crisis in the city,” he said.
Among the resolutions made by the Cabinet was the disbursement of Shs16b from the Contingency Fund for the acquisition of alternative land for the establishment of a waste management facility. Through its Procurement and Disposal Unit (PDU), KCCA issued an advertisement inviting potential bidders to express interest with clear specifications, including the land not being less than 200 acres and not located in environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands.
Mr Lukwago said CEC was yet to receive a progress report on the said procurement process.
“For purposes of transparency, probity, and effectiveness of the oversight role of the committee, the Office of the Lord Mayor tasked management to furnish the CEC with a progress report at every level in the procurement process. We are quite baffled and disillusioned to note that important as it is, the said progress report is yet to be submitted to the committee or its representative, Ms John Mary Ssebuwufu,” he said.