MP Medard Ssegona consults with Cosase chairperson Abdu Katuntu and deputy chairperson Anita Among during the probe last week.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials have been grilled over the failure to remit over one billion and 47million shillings of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions for its workers.

The officials led by the deputy director KCCA, Sam Serukuuma, were last week appearing before the Committee on Commissions State and Statutory Enterprises (COSASE)which was chaired by the deputy chairperson, Anita Among, to answer the auditor general queries of 2014/2015.

The human resource manager KCCA, Richard Lule, informed the committee that the arrears had arose after they had misinterpreted the law on whether political heads, revenue officers, enforcement officers and casual workers were eligible to remit money to NSSF. He later said KCCA had recently remitted all the arrears.

However, the MPs on committee led by Lubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante and the Mbarara Municipality MP,  Michael Tusiime, were quick to question where KCCA had gotten the money to remit to NSSF when the funds were never provided for.

Lule was quick to clarify that the money was provided in the budget and even taken care of the 5 percent that was meant to be paid by employees.

MPs later realized that even though Lule and the deputy Executive director, Sam Serukuuma had assured them they had paid all the money it wasn’t true as KCCA still had arrears of 7bn hence prompting the committee to put Lule on oath.

After the oath Lule admitted that even though they had paid all the money they were yet to pay for the penalties and interests amounting to 14 percent of the total money which they incurred after failing to remit the money in time.

The committee also later realised that KCCA has not been remitting money to NSSF amounting to 7 billion even though they have deducting the 5 percent from the employees.

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Normadic communities especially in the Karamoja sub region are facing climate change related effects currently.

Environmental experts have asked government to aggressively consider engaging pastoral communities in issues of climate change so that they can  understand the burden and adaptive mechanisms to mitigate climate change effects since their activities are contributing to changes in climate.

Speaking at a forum on engaging pastoral communities on enhancing adaptive capacity of climate change, held at Wash and Wills hotel in Mbale last week, the Representative from Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA), Francis Akorikin, said that these communities have for long been left out in national decision making yet their activities are grossly contributing to adverse change in the country’s climate or environment trends and thus the need to equip them with basic adaptive mechanisms to combat climate change.

However, the deputy executive director, Environment management for livelihood improvement, EMLI-Bwaise facility, Bakika Robert, said pastoralists have greatly contributed to changes in climate and that this contributes 0.2 tons of carbon per hectare annually through emissions which negatively impact on the climate of Uganda thus the need to engage these communities in the cattle corridor.

In a related development, elders from Karamoja who included: Jackson Angella and Margaret Lomonyang among others vehemently state that although government has tried to integrate their communities into growing crops, there is more need to have the communities sensitized on the dangers of wasting the environment as well as considering plans the locals have in place to adapt to the changing situations rather than forcing on them what government thinks will work in these communities.

Stephen Muwaya, a senior range ecologist.

Stephen Muwaya, a senior range ecologist said that there are policies in the offing that are geared towards addressing pastoral activities in Uganda to provide a co-existence of these communities.
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Over 42% of Uganda’s land lies in the cattle corridor where pastoral activities are carried out which then calls for their engagement by all partners starting with government.

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Lukwago says if anybody is complaining of any vacant place at the city hall, they should consult President Museveni for the over 13 vacant offices on technical side including the Deputy Executive Director.

This follows last week’s KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi Ssemakula’s statement resolving not to recognize and facilitate Kidandala as the deputy lord mayor until a clear procedure of appointment is respected and approved by the Authority as the law requires.

However, Lukwago has warned those attempting to vote him out of office for another Lord Mayor to avoid doing so since its people who voted him into office and not a single person.

The post Lukwago insists on Kidanadala as Deputy Mayor first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The twins who were born early this year have been at Mulago for over three months and were expected to be operated on from there.

However, Mulago’s Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Doreen Birabwa says the plans changed after the Egyptian government decided to provide financial support, as well as carry out the operation for free.

Dr. Birabwa says the support will cater for transportation of the parents of the babies and a doctor to accompany them

She reveals that the team will leave for Cairo on Sunday this week.

Ultimate Media

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