By Henry MULINDWA
KCCA Reforms! We’re Giving You Your Budgets Beginning July This Year! Our Role Will Be To Monitor How You Spend That Money! KCCA ED Sharifah Buzeki Warns City Divisions Against Budget Misuse!
Beginning July in the coming Financial Year, all Kampala Capital City Divisions will be in charge of their budgets, a development that represents a shift in management of City Operations.
This has been announced KCCA Executive Director, Hajati Sharifah Buzeki during a community clean up exercise that took place in Mulimira Zone-Nakawa division.
She said KCCA has decentralized operations and divisions now have budgets to ensure delivery of services at their level starting July 2025. Hajati Buzeki however, put to notice Division authorities that even as they have been granted this opportunity to handle their finances, KCCA will be on the ground to ensure compliance and delivery of services all City Divisions.
“When I joined KCCA, the cry from all Division mayors was that it was KCCA doing everything. We’ve now taken a decision to take back the roles and the budget to Divisions. Our work will now be to lobby, supervise and monitor you. We’ve brought back the money and every Division will be in charge of their own budget. But I want to emphasize, we’re not going to sit at City Hall, we shall be demanding accountability from you basing on what you presented” she said, attracting applauses from the audience
The Executive Director led a community cleaning exercise in Bukoto Mulimira Zone as part of the Weyonje Campaign (Clean and Smart City Campaign) which was birthed in late January but came into force in February this year. Hajati Sharifah Buzeki was accompanied by a host of leaders including the Deputy Executive Director, Director Public Health and Environment, Director of Physical Planning, Director Engineering and Technical services, Director Internal Audit and Director Gender Community services and Production among other KCCA staff. Oweekitiibwa Mariam Mayanja Nkalubo Nasejje – Minister for Community Self Help, Environment, Water and Gender in Buganda Kingdom was the Chief Guest. These were joined by hundreds of residents and development partners, including KACITA, a traders group, Buganda Kingdom, UDAAN Africa Foundation, Kibuli Hospital among others.
During her visit, Buzeki was taken around the ghettos of Mulimira zone, where she participated in general cleaning and distributed hundreds of flyers with KCCA pictures and words showing how to separate decomposable waste from non-decomposable waste, such as plastics. She also interacted with locals and gathered feedback on how to improve sanitation in Mulimira.
The Executive Director was shown the spot where two children from Mulimira Zone recently died after falling into a drainage channel filled with rubbish.
The ED spent four hours going around the ghettos and instructed her technical teams to ensure that all drainage channels that have been blocked are flushed immediately while those that require Box Calverts like those at Mulimira Zone Passover road are prioritized in the coming Financial Year.
The locals who kept thanking her for her down to earth character, informed her that due to blocked channels, Malaria cases are on the rise in the area as the result of mosquitoes.
“We’re going to remove them (garbage) but it remains your responsibility as a community to keep the channels clean. We shall not be coming here everyday. Don’t throw garbage in drainage channels. You must have sacks where you dispose rubbish but make sure that you separate rubbish between plastics and those which do rot” she counseled.
Buzeki informed the audience that part of her assignment from the President was to ensure that the people of Kampala and the City itself are in a good condition free of waste and dust.
“Everytime he passes and finds the City is dirty, he gets angry. That’s why we must ensure that we clean our homes, places of work and manage rubbish in a responsible manner. On this note, I want also to request motorists to respect those who sweep our City. The only way we can appreciate them is to respect what they have done” she urged.
Buzeki appreciated the locals for working with KCCA to clean their area, noting that Mulimira Zone is a special area in KCCA records.
She explained that KCCA started the Weyonje campaign to promote cleaning, and every Saturday, they organize general cleaning exercises in different parts of the city.
Buzeki urged residents not to dump garbage in drainage channels, as it affects the flow of water and this harms the environment.
To the KACITA traders, the Executive Director asked their KACITA leaders, led by Nagenda Musoke, to encourage traders to use dustbins for their waste, such as polythene papers and boxes, rather than dumping them anywhere.
She announced plans to inspect shops to ensure they have proper waste management systems in place.
Meanwhile, Ow’ek. Mariam Nkalubo appealed to locals to stop dumping food covers and other waste in drainage channels to live a life free from diseases like malaria and cholera. She noted that Buganda Kingdom is committed to supporting a hygienic city and urged residents to live as befits a modern generation.
Nkalubo called for laws to be enforced and strengthened to keep cities clean and asked people to report those dumping garbage in cities. She also appealed to men to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS, in line with the Kingdom’s initiatives for healthy living.
KACITA Chairman Musoke Nagenda asked Residents and KCCA to prioritize health issues and not wait for the designated day of general cleaning. He appreciated KCCA for working with traders and noted that they had mobilized themselves to join KCCA in cleaning the city.
Nakawa Division Mayor Paul Mugambe appreciated KACITA traders for partnering with KCCA. He noted that in Nakawa, six people had died during floods, including two children who drowned in Mulimira zone, and asked KCCA to provide them with excavators to facilitate regular cleaning of drainage channels. Mugambe thanked Hajjati Buzeki for leading the general cleaning exercise.
On his part, KCCA Deputy Director Benon Kigenyi advised adults against littering drainage channels with human waste after which they fear to clean them.
SOURCE: www.theinspector.co.ug
