Kampala Capital City Authority council chaired by the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has resolved to examine, the hefty allowances that KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi gave Justice Catherine Bamugemereire while she chaired the tribunal that investigated allegations of misconduct on the part of Mr Lukwago.
Lukwago told the press last evening that assembly will convene in October to deliberate the audit report into the expenditures of Justice Bamugemereire’s panel and the mismanagement of city markets.
“I commissioned and instructed the internal auditor to audit all issues to do with botched impeachment and I expect the report to be presented on that day (October 2),” Mr Lukwago said. He said the council and Ugandans would like to know how much Justice Bamugemereire’s team spent in investigating and impeaching him.
Lukwago also wants City Hall probed for the acquisition and running of Usafi and Wandegaya markets. He wants details made public for allowances to Justice Bamugemereire, the venues (Metropole Hotel and Serena Hotel), legal fees paid to the lawyers hired by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) among others. He also wants to establish who determined allowances for Justice Bamugemereire.
In a letter dated September 5, Mr Lukwago instructed the KCCA Director of Internal Audit, Moses Bwire, to submit two reports to his office within one month.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 (1) (e) and (f), read together with Section 72 (2) (b) of the Kampala Capital City Authority Act 2011, you are hereby instructed to carry out a special value-for-money audit of all matters concerning the aforesaid botched impeachment of the Lord Mayor of Kampala, 2013 to-date,” Mr Lukwago’s letters reads.
Justice Bamugemereire was named by President Yoweri Museveni to head the KCCA tribunal and carryout an inquiry into whether the complaints that councillors had brought against Lukwago then held water and established that there was a prima facie case for the indictment process to proceed.
The expenditures of the commission that paved the way for the botched impeachment process of Lord Mayor Lukwago were not made public.
Lukwago wants the impending special audit to capture issues related to their management and administration of the markets, allocation and tenure of lock-ups, kiosks and open spaces; court cases; and the revenues generated since inception. The audit will also look into the court cases relating to the acquisition, administration and management of markets.
Lukwago further explained “We want to establish all the cases that were handled because up to now, they are telling me that all the cases are still pending, even when I demand what is due to me after winning cases,” Mr Lukwago said. Lukwago demands Shs560 million from the state.
He also wants the directors reduced from 10 to five. The directors and their deputies earn between Shs20m to Shs18m each.
He, however, declined to delve into the details of the proposed audit into Justice
Justice Bamugemereire has so far chaired two commissions of Inquiry and these are the Uganda National Roads Authority commission and now heading the Commission of Inquiry into land matters. Given the hefty allowances that come with chairing such commissions and tribunals, Justice Bamugemereire could probably be the richest judge as she is entitled to her monthly salary as a judge of Court of Appeal.
Bamugemereire who has asked for extension of the commission’s time into land matters two times has also faced it rough with Ministry of Finance officials led by Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi who has on several occasions accused her of extravagance. She is on spot for busting investigating land related wrangles.