By Jumah Kakomo
The Opposition Democratic (DP) Party is calling for further investigations into the roles of two ministers in Kampala, Minsa Kabanda and Kabuye Kyofatogabye, regarding the Kiteezi landfill tragedy.
This comes after the sacking and detention of three top officials at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), including the former executive director Dorothy Kisaka, her deputy David Luyimbazi Ssali and director of public health Dr. Daniel Okello
The call was made by the party’s acting spokesperson Ismael Kirya on Tuesday at its national command center Kampala revealing that the ministers may have had some level of responsibility or oversight in the events leading up to the tragedy.
“We wonder how the technicals slept on the job and the supervisors didn’t sleep on the job. The ministers act as a supervisory role in KCCA, so the question we are asking, what they did when these technical were sleeping on the job,” Kirya said.
The arrests and detention of KCCA top officials have been making headlines after they were dismissed and summoned by the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) for questioning regarding the Kiteezi landfill tragedy.
Kirya highlights that the party is surprised the people who were meant to feed the technical are out, and those who were meant to be fed are in prison. Kirya states that the two Ministers should be investigated and detained because they look to have slept on the job more than the technical.
“Let us handle the matter of Kiteezi negligence squarely without fear or favor. Someone under a minister can’t be in jail, and someone above him or her is out. They also slept on the job because they are like the supervisors,” Kirya added.
The Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has been also pushing for justice and accountability in the matter, calling for the arrest of the dismissed officials.
It’s worth noting that the KCCA has been working to address various issues in Kampala, including waste management and child protection. However, the recent events have raised concerns about accountability and transparency within the authority.
The Kiteezi landfill has been a contentious issue, with many questioning the management and safety protocols in place, and by pushing for more investigations, Kirya aims to ensure accountability and transparency in the government’s handling of the situation
Additionally, Kirya is also demamnding for the Ministry of Local Government to take full control of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). He believes that the Ministry of Local Government should step in to oversee the KCCA’s operations, citing concerns about the authority’s management and safety protocols.
According to him, by taking control, the ministry can help prevent similar tragedies in the future and provide better services to Kampala’s residents.
