As I (Councilor Bernard Luyiga representing Makerere University to KCCA) stated 2 years back that there was a problem in the way our Lord mayor Erias Lukwago was steering Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) hall affairs, I was ridiculed, and insulted by some people just because I reasoned that Hon. Lukwago needed to work with councilors!

Many people including Hon Lukwago accused me of fighting him because I was not appointed Deputy Lord Mayor. I remained bold and stood my ground! And good enough, some people slowly understood me! Then when finally fellow councilors realized what I was saying, they also decided to question the performance of the Lord Mayor who in reply, he accused the councilors of having been compromised by the Executive Director Jenifer Musisi and president Museveni. I continued to advise Hon Lukwago to seat on a round table with councilors so that work goes on! Again, I was accused of siding with NRM and my friend president Museveni to fail Hon Lukwago! As Usual, I remained bold and steadfast because I knew I was standing on the solid truth! Then when councilors petitioned for Hon. Lukwago’s impeachment, Hon. Lukwago accused them of being used by my friend president Museveni since they belonged to NRM!

Even when the tribunal went on, I advised Hon Lukwago to have a dialogue with councilors but instead rubbished my advice because I support Jenifer Musisi! I know Hon. Lukwago has succeeded in hoodwinking a certain section of the public that Government is witch hunting him because he belongs on the opposition…Now that the tribunal finds him culpable, he still remains defiant reasoning that the tribunal was a Kangaroo court. But even when the matter reaches the highest court in this world, he has no reasons to defend his failure to sign council minutes, failure to constitute standing committees, recalling Luyiga and other councilors from governing councils of respective universities, where they had been lawfully sent, among others!

I continue to advise Hon. Lukwago and his many advisers that the time is now for him to behave as a leader! Let him acknowledge his mistakes, sit down and reach a consensus with councilors so that a positive way forward is reached at, if he is still interested in serving the people of Kampala as Lord Mayor! And our friend president Museveni is also eyeing to see Lukwago’s apology. It is worth noting that though Hon. Lukwago got 230,000 votes, the total votes from the 30 KCCA councilors combined are about 800,000 votes!

He should and must dialogue with the councilors and if he does, I know these, councilors, are very much willing to give him a second chance even though he has deeply hurt them! If he continues to remain defiant, proud and arrogant as he has been, we shall have no option but to do the needful. I have no personal issues with Hon. Lukwago as he has made some people to believe and personally, I am willing to forgive him in case he realizes that working as a team at City hall is paramount. At this defining moment, I want to inform the general Public, particularly fellow colleagues in the opposition that in the next two weeks when council is convened by the minister to decide on this matter, I will do, what I think is right, and not what some people would want me to do, for the betterment of our city!

I am Bernarld Luyiga

Ends