KCCA cleaners demonstrating

KCCA cleaners celebrate Dorothy Kisaka sacking

by · The Observer

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) cleaners recently took to the streets to celebrate the dismissal of top KCCA officials, including executive director Dorothy Kisaka and her deputy, Eng David Luyimbazi.

The decision to remove these officials came after an Inspector General of Government (IGG) report implicated them in criminal negligence related to the Kiteezi landfill disaster. The director of public health Dr Daniel Okello was also among those dismissed.

The cleaners, who gathered at Constitutional Square in Kampala with placards and brooms, celebrated what they considered an end to their neglect by previous KCCA leadership. Many accused Kisaka’s team of failing to address their welfare, citing months of unpaid wages during their tenure.

According to Bob Nyanzi, chairperson of the Rubaga Division Cleaners’ Sacco, the celebration was meant to mark the end of a challenging period, during which they had gone months without pay.

However, the celebration was cut short when anti-riot police from the Central Police Station (CPS) intervened, dispersing the crowd due to the cleaners' lack of permission to hold a public assembly. Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire explained that the group had not sought the necessary approval to gather at Constitutional Square.

Despite the abrupt end to the celebration, the cleaners voiced their frustrations over unpaid wages and claimed that Kisaka’s administration had been planning to phase them out in favour of the Seven Hills Group, which was introduced as part of KCCA's Smart City campaign in 2021.

Cleaners like Edith Akello and Jaclyn Acen shared their personal struggles, noting the financial hardship they had faced due to unpaid wages, which had prevented them from sending their children to school.

The KCCA cleaners have staged multiple protests this year, demanding their overdue payments. The KCCA management attributed the delays to a budget shortfall for the 2023/24 financial year and the lack of supplementary funds from the ministry of Finance. With new leadership expected, the cleaners hope for improvements in their working conditions and timely payment of their wages.

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