Mistrust as Lord Mayor rejects minister’s decision on city markets leadership

Suspicious tendencies have today escalated amongst city leaders, after Kampala Lord Mayor Mr. Elias Lukwago denounced and rejected the move by Kampala city minister Honourable Misa Kabanda, to place city markets leadership under KCCA.

On October 16th, 2021, minister Hajjat Misa Kabanda instructed the police to effect the closure of all offices belonging to markets leaders in the city, citing gross mismanagement and fraud.

Minister Kabanda also directed the leadership of all markets in the city, including Owino, Bugolobi, Wandegeya Nakasero and others to hand over offices to KCCA with immediate effect, for ececution of operations .

She announced the dissolution of all city markets leadership committees and disclosed that all markets were to be run by Kampala City Council Authority  (KCCA).

” …….the leadership has been disbanded, market handed over to KCCA such that it runs it’s operations. After KCCA starts administering the market, we shall tell you the next coarse of action,” remarked minister Kabanda.

However, leaders of these markets, reportedly disregarded the minister’s order and some of them were witnessed running their offices as usual. This inspired her to convene a security meeting yesterday evening to discuss how to enforce her directive, realising that the former leaders had become big headed.

In a meeting which was attended by security big wigs and the RCC of Kampala, minister Kabanda decided to summon all markets leaders today, to explain to traders why they were charging dues yet this had been stopped by president Yoweri Museveni .

Talking to the press today morning, Kampala city Lord Mayor Ssalongo Elias Lukwago disclosed that Honourable Kabanda and Kampala RCC have no authority over city markets leadership, due to the fact that such matters are part of his committee duties together with KCCA.

“Leadership that is going to follow will be decided by the traders, and we are the ones to oversee arrangements to install such leaders. We call upon the minister to withdraw from these issues, and even the RCC. These matters should be left to us and the KCCA, such that we execute our duties according to the law,” said Lord Mayor.

He also wondered why the leadership of St. Balikudembe market failed to stabilise and also revealed that he is in the final stages of revamping laws to run city markets operations. “Another thing, we are in final stages of completing our ordinance, today we will convene in Entebbe, we are making arrangements to revive market laws because they had been crippled. We shall converge in Entebbe, we formulate these laws, we pass them and then organise election of leaders in a just way,” said Mr. Lukwago, and added;

“We warned Madam Susan, and told her that the way she was handling market issues was unfair, and that she would completely fail. She came boasting that she had a lot of powers from President Museveni, now the way she came is the way she will go. She should have been shown the exit long time ago because she was not elected by traders, imposed her self on them…..causing a lot of chaos, abusing anyone who advises her. Now, she has to get out the way she has been behaving.”

Suzan Kushaba’s spokesperson Emmanuel Kasule rejected the mayor’s accusations of torture and advised him to carry out consultations on the matters. “Whoever alleges that we have been torturing people should come and ask traders here if Susan and her aides have been oppressing people. What he will be told is what he will present to the city council, or the nation,” advised Mr Kasule.

Reacting to all these new developments, minister Hajjat Misa Kabanda asserted that she is not fighting for any position, but tying to put in order, the running of city operations.

“Incase I see any chaos, crisis or emergency in the city, I quickly intervene because that’s my role, I am the minister of Kampala, I am the commander,” remarked Ms. Kabanda.

Chaos in the leadership of city markets started on October 15th, 2021, when market traders especially in the St. Balikudembe market populary known as Owino demanded the resignation of their provisional leader Ms. Susan Kushaba, citing gross mismanagement and bribery.