KAMPALA — Kampala Capital City Authority Deputy Executive Director Eng. David Luyimbazi has dismissed as diversionary recent media claims that the authority is rocked by a ‘power struggle’ but rather insisted that its just an accountability issue that is putting him on collision course with his boss.
The Deputy Executive Director who heads six directories at KCCA including Directorates of Engineering and Gender said the development to transport pavers from Kyanja Concrete Yard to St. Balikuddembe Market (Owino Market) wasn’t only done without his knowledge but also was in Contempt Court.
“There’s a standing Court Order that bars KCCA from doing anything in St. Balikuddembe Market and keeping quiet about it would put me and the entire authority in both legal and audit troubles,” Mr. Luyimbazi said.
He added: “I can’t see something that is obviously wrong and I keep quiet about it. That’s why we’re in these offices”.
In his letter dated October 27, Eng. Luyimbazi had wondered how a big project of that magnitudes could be sanctioned without following due processes including financial implications amid recent 30% budget cut.
“It has come to my attention that over 10,000 concrete pavers were transported from KCCA Kyanja Concrete Yard to Owino Market for unknown use,” Mr. Luyimbazi wrote in a letter to acting Director Engineering and Technical Services.
He added: “Who authorized the activity? The purpose of the concrete pavers at Owino Market, and the budget used for this activity and planned activities or purpose? ”
In an interview, Luyimbazi said the only available limited public resources are not supposed to be expended in private markets. St. Balikuddembe Market collects over UGX. 300 million weekly in market collections and Mr. Luyimbazi thinks they could independently afford to finance themselves.
“The money they collect doesn’t come to KCCA yet they purport to be collecting on behalf of KCCA. That’s my issue because public resources are not supposed to be expended in private markets. And moreover a diversion of limited resources we have,” he said.
Government recently slashed KCCA budget for 2020/2021 by UGX. 114b from UGX 520b in 2019/2020 budget.
Meanwhile, it has also emerged that during the period the ‘illegal project’ was being done in St Balikuddembe, Eng. Luyimbazi was the acting Executive Director since Ms. Dorothy Kisaka was on a weeklong working trip to Kenya but the latter wasn’t not informed about it.
“I was the acting Executive Director since the ED had traveled but I wasn’t informed about that project. Both Directorates [of Engineering and Gender] are under my docket and nothing can happen without my knowledge,” he said.
“This is purely an accountability issue and it has nothing to do with power struggle as some media reports indicated,” Mr. Luyimbazi added.
