Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)
Tel: +256 204660000
Location: Plot 1-3 Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road, kampala, Uganda Postal Address:PO BOX 7010 Kampala, Uganda  KCCA should follow international municipal governance models I was invited to speak at a workshop on Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on the subject, “The Kampala we want”. The letter inviting me specifically asked me to “highlight the lacuna in the law and possibly make proposals to strengthen the administration of Kampala capital city.” To my surprise, one of the divisional mayors was so incensed with my views that he asserted that they were brought in bad faith.The city is currently governed by the Kampala Capital City Act of 2010, which provides for setting up an Authority with a Lord Mayor and an Executive Director appointed by the President pursuant to Article 5 of the Constitution, which vests the administration of the city in the government. This differs from the previous law under which the city was equated to a district and a directly elected mayor performed the district chairman role.Read more ▪ ‘KCCA not to blame for charging licences using outdated law’ Despite President Museveni assenting to the Trade Licensing Amendment Act, which if implemented would have eased trading fee payment burden, it appears Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is still conducting its business using the old law. Ms Monica Chebet has no kind words for KCCA. In recent weeks she has had her kiosk shut down numerous times by KCCA officials, demanding trading licence fee. For years now, she said she has been paying at least Shs350,000 as trading licence fee to KCCA, an amount of money that is nearly equivalent to the total capital she has injected in her business.Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, nearly six months ago while announcing the new law, said Trade Licensing Amendment Act, is meant to streamline trade in goods and services.Read more ▪  NSSF to raise sh240m for KCCA schoolsKCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi (right) addresses a press conference flanked by NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba (center) and Harsh Master Miria Rugomwa (left) and during the launch of the NSSF Kampala Hash 7 Hills Run an initiative aimed at raising sh240m to be channelled to Kampala Schools, at NSSF offices. Photo by Michael NsubugaOver 70,000 school going children in Kampala Capital City Authority schools are set to benefit from proceeds of the NSSF Kampala Hash Sevens Hills Run due in Kampala.Organised in partnership with Kampala Hash House Harriers; a group of professionals who are "a drinking club with a running problem'', the run is aimed at raising sh240m that will be channeled to selected Kampala schools towards improving their sanitation and renovation of structures."This initiative is part of our strategy to build synergies for the benefit of our members who subscribe with NSSF and also the community in which we do our business, so it is a CSR opportunity for us," NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba. Read more ▪ KCCA warns against street vending in campaigns Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has warned vendors against operating illegal businesses especially street vending in the city during the campaigns. In an interview with New Vision, the authority spokesperson Peter Kaujju said they have realized that the habit is on the rise especially during campaign rallies. Kaujju said the act is a disadvantage to those who operate legally and those who pay trading licenses as they lose customers to street vendors. He added that people compete for space on walkways as vendors display their goods on pavements. Kaujju explained that street vendors take advantage of KCCA enforcement officers' absence to trade. "The authority will add vigilance to see that we don't lose what we have installed in the city in this campaign period," he said. He however said they wouldn't want any of the people in the city to face the authority's penalties for any of these actions. Read more ▪ KCCA starts taxing special hire cars to increase revenue base Special hire cars will start paying taxes to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) as the authority looks to boost its revenue base.In a press statement, the authority said a one to four (1-4) seater will pay Shs40,000 whereas a five to eight (5-8) seater will pay Shs52, 000.The registration started in Nakawa Division, and will spread to the five divisions of Kampala.Some of the stages will be disbanded, merged or relocated after the exercise is done, according to the statement The number of special hire cars operating in Kampala and nationally is unknown but once established, the figure will enable proper revenue collection by the city authority.The Special Hire Operators and Drivers Association of Uganda had complained about errant drivers who commit crimes such as robberies thereby ruining the industry’s image.“The registration exercise seeks, among other benefits, to streamline and bring order and sanity in the sector, alongside ensuring security of operators and passengers,” the statement reads in part. Read more ▪  Traders to pay KCCA taxes using mobile money Traders making periodic payments to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), will no longer have to queue to fill forms.This follows a newly launched partnership between MTN, a telecom company, and KCCA to effect payment of taxes to the city authority using the mobile money service.According to Ms Jenniffer Musisi, the Executive Director of KCCA, the move is part of the authority’s strategic plan to automate the entire revenue collection process targeting improved revenue collection.“Today’s event seeks to broaden the existing Revenue collection channels by bringing on board mobile money services to facilitate KCCA fees collection,” Ms Musisi said during the project’s launch. Read more ▪ KCCA revenue collection doubles Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has increased its revenue collection from sh28b to sh75bn, executive director Jennifer Musisi has revealed.The increase in revenue is attributed to the new e-Citie online revenue collection system KCCA introduced, where dues from monthly commuter taxis are collected."With the e-Citie system, clients can now use their mobile phones to pay fees ranging from yellow fever, commuter taxi monthly revenue and property rates among others," said Musisi. She emphasized that, all revenue collected on behalf of KCCA will be strictly done online for efficiency, convenience and effectiveness.Read more ▪ KCCA: Uchumi fast food court back in business Uchumi Supermarket outlet at Garden City has been cleared by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to reopen and run it’s fast food outlet following its closure over poor hygiene. The food outlet was closed by officers from Authority who claimed that the health standards at the bakery were not up to the expected standards.“We reopened them after they complied with the issues that led to the closure. Among others Uchumi cleaned up the chimney area and the floor and promised to change the ceiling board,” Robert Kalumba KCCA deputy Spokesperson said. Read more ▪ KCCA boosts city farmers A total of 614 farmers in Makindye and Nakawa division have been supported with 50,000 Chicks and start up feeds to boost their household incomes.Handing over the birds to the beneficiary farmers who converged at the divisions headquarters, KCCA’s executive director Jennifer Musisi challenged the beneficiaries against selling off the birds.“I congratulate the beneficiaries and I appeal to you to attend to your stock in line with the guidelines that have been passed onto you by our technical officers. I urge you to take keen interest in the chicks do not sell them off like other people have been doing in the past,” Musisi warned. Read more ▪ KCCA shuts down House of Eden Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) together with Uganda National Bureau of Standards have closed House of Eden that manufactures Safi juice and Azur water for allegedly using expired raw materials. Many of the containers for CARMOSINE, a chemical ingredient for Safi products had two expired dates, one of which indicated that the product had expired. During an inspection, KCCA says the factory had poor storage conditions for raw materials and products in terms of ventilation, lightning, hygiene, temperatures and space utilization and they had no clear records and systematic procedure for material delivered, stored or retrieved. According to Robert Kalumba, KCCA's assistant spokesperson, House of Eden has been warned for a long time but they continued to use raw material which is expired, failed to put in place proper sanitary facilities for factory staff, among other violations. Read more ▪ Mystery shrouds the sale of Usafi Market in Kampala after details emerged that the market was leased out at sh110m.The lease holder, Omar Nasoro ssekamatte, now wants to sell it at sh43b. According to sources, the lease was transferred to him from an individual only identified as ssesimba, with the consent of Kampala district land board. But there are conflicting figures about the market’s going price.Whereas Ssekamatte asked for sh43b, impeccable sources have revealed that Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is planning to pay sh37.9b, starting this financial year.According to a ministerial policy statement, the chief government valuer put the market value at sh33.8b.The parliamentary budget committee chairperson, Amos Lugolobi, confirmed to Saturday Vision that ssekamatte’s asking price was sh43b.They (KCCA and Ssekamatte) had not yet agreed on the price. But our advice is that the purchase price should not exceed the government valuer’s price,” Lugolobi stated.The ministerial policy statement, however, shows that the purchase of Usafi Market was among KCCA’s unfunded priorities at sh28.9b. The statement said KCCA wants to turn the market into a modern business centre. Read more ▪ Regional Lorry Drivers and Transporters Association (RIDTA) have vowed to stage a deadly strike if Kampala capital City Authority insists on evicting them from the city center. About two months ago, the KCCA team led by the Executive Director Jenifer Musisi Semakula presented a proposal to the local government committee of parliament to be tabled on the floor for debate aimed at evicting heavy trucks around the city center. Byron Kinene, the Chairman of the association noted in an exclusive interview that the move in the name of decongestion is not fair but aimed at kicking them out of business since the procedures being used are not clearly streamlined. Kinene said on the proposal to always off-load at night, KCCA should continue to make further inquiries on how effective and impactful it will be both truck drivers and URA. “The biggest problem KCCA has is implementing proposals without further inquiries; saying that big trucks should be off loaded at night is going to impact negatively on business because it involves at lot of costs like paying the night security guards to watch over during off load, paying over time for URA officials who would be removing the seals and also inconveniencing the businessman.” Read more ▪ KCC: Buying from Kampala vendors could land you in prison Fifteen people have been arrested for allegedly buying merchandise from street vendors, who were outlawed from the streets over a year ago.The city dwellers whose identifies could not be verified, were arrested in different spots in the city buying different items like fresh fruits, foods and handkerchiefs among other items from city vendors, an act which KCCA terms as supporting illegal vendors.According to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the crackdown on vendors started in 2012, and the affected were encouraged to occupy spaces in city markets.The KCCA assistant spokesperson Robert Kalumba explained that KCCA will jointly prosecute the street vendors and those who purchase from them for aiding and abetting illegal trade. The fifteen are to appear before the KCCA court.KCCA executive director, Jennifer Musisi, recently told The New Vision that there is a provision in the law which provides for penalty for illegal trade activities. Read more ▪ KCC: Traders make losses Due to change of location, high costs and the financial wellbeing of potential buyers, art and craft traders who annually sell in Uganda have this year made losses. The traders were shifted from the Railway Grounds to Centenary Park by the Kampala City Council Authority last year. “We pay taxes and the owners of Centenary Park also ask for a lot of money for us to display our products. This is made worse by the turn up being low,” said Edith Kyeswa, the co-ordinator of the expo. Kyeswa said that buyers are also complaining that their products are expensive but they have nothing to do because they are also charged heavily so they have to make sure that they bring back profits. “Most of the traders are from Tanzania and Kenya and need to pay for accommodation and feeding. The only way they make a profit, however small, is by expensively pricing their products” she said. However, a female Kenyan trader who makes a variety of African Jewelry and always comes to Uganda for the expo says, she has made losses because the organisers of the expo did not advertise. Read more ▪ KCCA: Real Disaster As Taxis Relocate to Old Taxi Park Taxi drivers in Kampala have relocated to Old Taxi Park with the aim of proving to Kampala Capital City Authority that the directive given was uncalled for. “We have decided to push inside all cars that have been operating outside the park. The move has tripled traffic jam since cars can’t fit within the designated park,” said Willy Ssemande, a taxi driver at Ntinda stage. Ssemande said they have agreed to follow the KCCA directives of ensuring that all cars in Kampala city get into the park but with the aim of portraying to the authority that the request is uncalled for since there are very many cars that have been operating outside the park and can’t all fit in such a small space. “See now how vehicles can’t move even an inch! We told KCCA that instead of forcing us all into the Old Taxi Park, they should find us another stage,” Ssemanda told Chimpreports yesterday at Arua Park in Kampala. Read more ▪ KCCA: Clock Tower, Jinja Road flyovers to cost billions Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has unveiled a multi-billion master plan to transform the transport network in the city. The plan encompasses construction of flyovers at Kitgum House, Mukwano and Clock Tower junctions in the next five years.It will also develop an integrated public transport system with Bus Rapid Transit, Non-Motorised Transport and cable cars. According to KCCA documents, the passenger rail services in the city and its suburbs will be revamped.“Feasibility studies and preliminary designs have been completed. Works are expected to commence by 2016,” reads a KCCA document on the project in part. KCCA spokesperson Peter Kaujju corroborated with the plans, saying: “We have done the preliminary designs and contacted seven possible service providers.” Read more ▪ KCCA: New city markets to create 22,800 working space The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has finalized plans to construct seven new modern markets in the five city divisions.Upon completion, the new markets are expected to create additional working space for 22,800 city traders. KCCA spokesperson, Peter Kaujju said construction of the new markets would cost ($100m) sh250b.Part of money has been secured to buy land for Bukoto, Kitintale and Ggaba markets, Kaujju said. Other markets are to be rebuilt in Busega, Kasubi, Ntinda and Nakulabye."Designs for Busega market in Rubaga Division have been completed and construction will commence in June 2014," Kaujju said. Kaujju said funds for procurement of land for the other markets and their construction had not yet been secured. Most of the markets have been in dire state, with filthy working conditions.Reconstruction of most city markets had long stalled due to management wrangles and funding challenges.According to KCCA, the seven new markets will be built to similar standard as the sh22b Wandegeya Market that houses 1,200 traders. Read more ▪ New city markets to create 22,800 working space The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has finalized plans to construct seven new modern markets in the five city divisions.Upon completion, the new markets are expected to create additional working space for 22,800 city traders. KCCA spokesperson, Peter Kaujju said construction of the new markets would cost ($100m) sh250b.Part of money has been secured to buy land for Bukoto, Kitintale and Ggaba markets, Kaujju said. Other markets are to be rebuilt in Busega, Kasubi, Ntinda and Nakulabye."Designs for Busega market in Rubaga Division have been completed and construction will commence in June 2014," Kaujju said. Kaujju said funds for procurement of land for the other markets and their construction had not yet been secured. Most of the markets have been in dire state, with filthy working conditions.Reconstruction of most city markets had long stalled due to management wrangles and funding challenges.According to KCCA, the seven new markets will be built to similar standard as the sh22b Wandegeya Market that houses 1,200 traders. The market was completed last year, occupied by the traders in January and has supporting facilities including banking halls, cold chains. Read more ▪ KCCA to introduce online revenue collection Kabango was addressing journalists during the signing of the revenue collection agreement with Diamond trust Bank in Kampala on Satruday.He said this is going to be the only way the KCCA will quicken their revenue collection.“Customers have been facing hardships with paying KCCA revenues, you could find a long line and others could move for long distances looking for banks to pay the fees, but with this new system a customer will just pay anywhere they are stationed.I know there’re those who will think they will avoid because they will not have bank slips but we shall track them, this system is fully advanced,” Kabago said. Read more ▪  KCCA to unveil new bodaboda stages next week Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) will next month unveil new bodaboda stages in the city and a code of conduct for the cyclists.The move is the outcome of last year’s controversial city bodaboda registration exercise.“The registration exercise is being finalised and currently we are synchronising the results with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) before we can roll it out,” said Peter Kaujju, KCCA’s spokesperson.Last year, KCCA registered 60,000 bodaboda cyclists amid protests from cyclists who feared that the exercise was intended to throw them out of the city. Read more ▪ KCCA: Chinese investors, KCCA eye real estate A team of Chinese entrepreneurs has expressed interest in partnering with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in the real estate business.The team from Shaanxi Province, China who are in the country for a Forum on China- Africa Local Government Cooperation, told KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi that they have found a lot of business opportunities in Kampala which they feel they can get involved in.The chairman of the board of the Shaanxi Overseas Investment and Development Company Limited, Xuemei Li, led the business team to KCCA head offices in Kampala .“We want to know if there is a way of engaging in real estate’s development mortgage, we want to know what it takes and how much revenue is required,” Xuemei Li inquired.Xuemei Li also expressed interest in the roads construction industry. Musisi told the team that there are several areas in which KCCA requires public private partnerships in development of schools, markets, infrastructure, street lighting, transportation and sanitation management. Read more ▪ |