Kampala Minister Beti Kamya has once again swiped at Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago , asking him to swallow his pride and start working with President Yoweri Museveni for Kampala’s development.
Speaking during a meeting of Kampala city holders at City Hall on Tuesday, Kamya said there is need for KCCA leaders to work with the central government to see that Uganda’s capital is developed and taken to greater heights.
“Even if you have differences with the president, put it aside and work for the people of Kampala who voted for you,” Kamya said.
“We were voted into office to work for the people of Kampala. We can only do this through lobbying government .Let us as Kampala leaders work with President Museveni to see we how we can develop the city.”
Kamya said it is high time the leadership at City Hall lobbied government to increase its funding to Kampala for better results and service delivery.
The Kampala Minister noted that the central business district contributes 70% of the country’s total revenue, stressing that there is need for government to change the status of the city from regarding it on a regional basis to a sectoral basis so as to have more funding.
“Government should take Kampala as its business and invest more in the city so as to gain more from the business,” she stressed.
She highlighted that government gets over Shs11 trillion from Kampala yet little funding is got from the central government to the city which she noted needs to be addressed.
“We need to lobby as Kampala leaders but this can only happen if there is a harmonious relationship with the central government. We need to put aside our differences; we might have with the president or those in government to be able to develop the city.”
MP Ssewanyana Responds
However, Makindye West Member of Parliament, Allan Ssewanyana said it is the role of the Kampala Minister Beti Kamya to see government increases funding to the city.
“It seems she (Kamya) has forgotten her job. Elected leaders like Lukwago are supposed to organize the city as the minister talks to the president to increase funding, ” Ssewanyana said.