Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) senior minister Hajjat Minsa Kabanda has narrated how National Unity Platform (NUP) Councillors and city traders’ leadership guided President Yoweri Museveni when he was considering supporting controversial city businessman Hamis Kiggundu on taking Nakivubo drainage channel for what he allegedly called redevelopment
The minister was responding to traders who accused president Museveni of having a hand in the losses they have made as a result of floods insisting that Kiggundu’s actions of partly blocking the channel to build shops has caused them untold suffering.
“If it wasn’t Museveni who wrote a letter to all government agencies to work under prime minister Robinah Nabbanja and make sure that Kiggundu builds his shops and other buildings on top of the drainage channel, this suffering and death wouldn’t have happened. They deployed all heavy guns and soldiers to protect Kiggundu’s workers, but what annoys us so much is that we are also paying taxes through our noses but our leaders do not value us,” a tearful Ruth Nansubuga told this reporter
Nansubuga who is dealing in shoe business operating on Pentagon building narrated that even though they have been experiencing floods whenever it rains, they have not been hugely affected until Ham covered the drainage channel.
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She adds that no one is listening to them even though they have tried to show the leaders their grievance. Instead, they were badly beaten by goons allegedly sent by Kiggundu who declined to make a comment on the allegations
“The other time when Kitezi landfill killed people, Museveni ordered the arrest and prosecution of Dorothy Kisaka and other KCCA bosses because of negligence, now who is going also to prosecuted, because he gave permission to Ham in writing and because of his actions as a head of State, innocent people have died and lost valuable property,” another trader said.
However, when contacted, minister Kabanda said that before the president wrote the said controversial letter, he directed her to first consult with political leaders at KCCA and the business community leadership to establish whether they are in support of the project of developing the drainage channel.
She said that it was only Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago who protested the development during a KCCA meeting attended by KCCA councillors led by their Speaker Zaharah Luyirika.
“ After the council meeting, I decided to go and meet Hamis Kiggundu but I was shocked to find KCCA Councillor Moses Katabu who is now contesting for the office of Kampala Central Division mayor standing on that very channel with Kiggundu. When he saw me, he was very bitter and accused me of keeping quiet when they were attacking Lukwago. He complemented Kiggundu for being a patriot who loves Uganda,” Kabanda said.
She added that she was shocked seeing Luyirika who is currently contesting as Makindye West member of parliament and Lubaga Division councillor Faridah Nakabugo denying their involvement in giving away the channel and putting the entire blame on Museveni yet they are the ones who led the insults on Lukwago.
Sources said that after meeting Kiggundu, Kabanda met John Kabanda the Federation of Uganda Traders Association and Moses Lwegaba of Katukazane Shoe dealers and as a result of their meeting, both leaders held a press conference at Mengo a Kampala suburb and declared their support to the idea of developing the channel. They blasted Lukwago for always playing politicking at the cost of development.
“Even though I also lost all many businesses, I was happy seeing Lwegaba crying, seated in the middle of his flooded shop, I reminded him of the press conference he held with his comrade Kabanda,” another trader said.
Minsa Kabanda who is also contesting for the position of the Kampala Central Division Member of Parliament said that after making her assessment, he reported back to the President that leaders apart from Lukwago are supporting the project and acting on that guidance, the president wrote the said letter.
Sources at KCCA told this website that Kiggundu spent more than Shs1bn on KCCA councillors only and as they were receiving the cash to support the project, James Mubiru, a NUP councillor representing people of Lubaga north advised his comrades to be careful in warning that the money might cost them their political careers in future but he was rubbished.
“You remember that period, when everyone was looking for money to facilitate his political campaigns especially to get a NUP ticket, everyone wanted that money and that’s why those who failed to secure the party ticket have started demanding for their money which they paid to some of the party leaders,” a source said.
Even though Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition and NUP spokesperson denied the allegations that no money exchanged hands, sources insist that the reason why Lukwago’s letter to NUP leadership asking them to take action against their errant party councillors was dumped because some party leaders had already received their share of the money.
Sources claim that money used to print posters of some NUP candidates in the city was part of the deal even though Ssenyonyi recently told all those throwing such allegations to prove them with evidences so that the party can take action.
