Twenty One KCCA councilors on Wednesday walked out of the meeting called by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago to discuss the Sunday shooting incident in Luzira that left one person dead and five others injured.
The shooting occurred when city director for planning, George Agaba, was heading a team of KCCA law enforcement officers in an eviction exercise. Agaba’s escort, Santos Komakech shot at an angry crowd that was attacked the KCCA officials.
On Wednesday, Lukwago opened the council chambers at 11:00, but in the middle of his opening speech, a female youth councilor Aidha Nakuya interrupted him with a point of procedure, which was not granted.
Other councilors including Mpindi Bumali representing people with disabilities, John Muwanguzi, Buruhan Byaruhanga, and Apollo Mugume also raised points of procedure, guidance and information, turning the council meeting into chaos.
// Cue in: “Can you proceed to …
Cue out: …after the communication.” //
After about 20 minutes, 21 councilors led by Apollo Mugume and Godfrey Asiimwe moved out of the council chambers leaving Lukwago with only 10 councilors. The move prompted Lukwago to adjourn the meeting on grounds that there was no quorum to allow the meeting to proceed.
Earlier in the day, Alice Muwanguzi, the Kampala Resident City Commissioner had written a letter to the Lord Mayor advising him not to proceed with the meeting in regard to the Luzira incident saying the matter is being investigated by the police.
In the letter, which was circulated among the councilors, Muwanguzi says that proceeding with the matter in the council meeting would jeopardize the police investigations.
Outside the chambers, Kyambogo University councilor, Bruhan Byaruhanga said the decision to walk out of the meeting is a direct protest against the Lord Mayor who insisted on discussing personalities other than issues.
// Cue in: “We are not …
Cue out: …with individuals.” //
According to Byaruhanga, there is no need for convening a special meeting in regard to the Luzira incident when people have been shot dead in the walk to walk protests but the city authority has never called for a special meeting.
Aidha Nakuya also blamed Lukwago for using the Luzira incident as a platform for inciting members of the public.
Nakuya argued that there have been incidents of death and loss of property during the Park yard fires and schools fires but KCCA has never convened special meetings to discuss such incidents.
But Lukwago told journalists after the aborted meeting that this has been the best opportunity for the KCCA executive director, Jennifer Musisi, to provide a comprehensive report to council about the operations of the law enforcement team in the city.
// Cue in: “How many members of …
Cue out: … issues for the police.” //
Lukwago said there is no regulation governing the law enforcement officers, noting that KCCA shall have to enact an ordinance streamlining the operations of the law enforcement department.
