This follows fresh elections by the former taxi governing body yesterday that saw William Katumba replacing Hajji Musa Katongole.

Musisi says that the drivers already have leaders at each stage and KCCA will continue to work with these in running the taxi industry.

She also warns the new leaders against resuming the collection of money from drivers.

UTODA has always been run as a company drawing criticism from many drivers who always demanded that it should be turned into an association.

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Drivers, taxi owners and Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) are engaged in a new legal battle over ownership of both old and new taxi parks.

The drivers applied for a lease offer from the Kampala District Land Board on Monday seeking for powers to manage both the old and new taxi parks.

The drivers and taxi owners argue that Kampala City Council Authority should give them the first priority because they are sitting tenants.

There is still a protracted battle over the management of the taxi business in Kampala. The lease for the taxi parks reportedly expired in 1995. The drivers and taxi owners applied for the land titles of the taxi parks through their associations: the Drivers and Conductors Central Association (DACCA) and the National Union of Taxi Operators (NUTO).

The DACCA chairperson, Mustapha Mayambala confirmed the development and said they are prepared to start renovating the taxi parks.

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The Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is not supposed to inform the police or not even president Museveni/ Uganda government when doing his work including road inspections, touring city markets, visiting hospitals, churches, mosques, political party headquarters, night clubs, taxi parks and business centres.

On the other hand, the President of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Col. Kiiza Besigye and all other political party presidents have a right like other Ugandans to go any where in Uganda whether in markets, churches etc without informing police.

FDC deputy spokesman, Toterebuka Bamwenda asked Museveni to avoid politics and look at the issue of freedom of assembly, movement and expression with a sober mind. Bamwenda asks whether Museveni ask for a permission to tour Kampala markets or to pass on the roads.

The FDC spokesperson says he has never seen civilians in Uganda attack police until after the police tear gasses them.

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The director of KCCA had earlier issued a directive last week that the vendors get stalls in city markets and leave Old and New Taxi Parks today.

Kayihura halted the eviction after receiving reports that the vendors were planning to burn taxis during the eviction. A source in police says that the traders will still be evicted soon.

The post Police threatens to evict Kampala traders first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

It seems the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) is not leaving the Old and New Taxi Parks as it was earlier anticipated following President Museveni’s directive to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).

It is said that the president on Tuesday sent a memo to the clerk to KCCA council and to the KCCA executive Director, Ms Jenifer Musisi indicating that the council should reorganize the transport system in Kampala between March and April and in May 2012 the powers to run the transport system should get back to UTODA.

The memo comes weeks after the chairperson of UTODA; Hajji Moses Katongole went to state house and pleaded with the president to save UTODA. According to sources in KCCA, Museveni advises that eliminating UTODA may cause more turmoil in the KCCA transport system.

Museveni reportedly advised that the tender to run buses and taxis should remain with KCCA but KCCA should hire an organisation such as UTODA to implement the contract.

Ultimate Media

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Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA) president, Betty Olive Kamya has warned Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago of interfering with Kampala Executive director, Jennifer Musisi’s work inKampala.

Kamya who is also the former MP for Lubaga North says that Lukwago should leave Musisi to do her work as he does his because the people of Kampala want services but not wars between Musisi and Lukwago.

She says that Lukwago and Musisi have better chance to improveKampalaif they work together. Kamya says that power struggles would ruin the city andUgandaat large.

Kamya further accuses Lukwago of inciting violence amongst taxi operators and UTODA saying such acts don’t portray him as a good leader.

However Lukwago says he criticises the manner in which KCCA and Ms Musisi as a person conducts KCCA activities. The Lord Mayor says that Musisi conducts duties meant to be executed by the lord mayor without the consent of the Lord Mayor.

The post Betty Kamya backs Musisi against Lukwago first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Uganda Government is already prepared for Al Shabaab. Uganda’s security agencies are all on high security alert. A source in the Military told us that Uganda’s army, the UPDF has already passed out 180 crime preventers to beef up the security in taxi and bus terminals.

Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, Andrew Kaweesi says that the police working with other security agencies have beefed up security at bus terminals and taxi parks.

The managers of taxi and bus parks have been instructed by the police to conduct compulsory security checks on travelers before them board buses and taxis. Suspected Al Shabaab fighters last attacked Uganda on July 11^th 2010.

The post Al Shabaab rebels plan to bomb taxi parks first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

She says that the commuter taxi drivers have no choice but to pay the 120,000 shillings if they want to remain in Kampala. Ms Musisi says that she will not be moved by the strikes the taxi drivers stage. The taxi drivers suggest that they are capable of paying only 70,000 shillings to the council.

Ms Musisi says that the request of the taxi drivers is unacceptable and whoever doesn’t want to pay 120,000 shillings should better leave the taxi business.

The KCCA director says that the council will impound all the taxis whose owners have not paid the tax rates.  Ms Musisi says that the new taxi fees will be enforced by UTODA and the interim taxi management committee.

The post KCCA threatens to violently evict taxis first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Drama ensued onDuster street in Kampala city today when a group of angry taxi drivers stormed radio one and Kaboozi FM demanding the head of a radio presenter popularly known as Basajja Mivule. The drivers accused Mivule of being biased whenever he discusses the issue concerning the transport business inKampala.

The drivers complain that Mivule has been rubbishing commuter taxis for long advocating for their banning in favour of a bus company called Pioneer Easy Bus which is owned by big shots inUgandagovernment.

The drivers also accused Mivule of being bribed by the directors of Pioneer Easy Bus Company to promote the bus business and make town dwellers to shun taxi transport.

But unfortunately, on the drivers’ side, Mivule had been tipped off and ran away. The angry drivers left the radio stations singing pro Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago songs and anti president Museveni songs.

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Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councilors boycotted a meeting called by the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. Lukwago had called the meeting to approve the fees for taxi operators working in Kampala. The meeting failed to take place on Wednesday at KCCA head offices in Kampala.

Lukwago told journalists that it was the councilors who had requested him to call the meeting but he was surprised when the same councilors rejected the meeting they had wanted.

The councilors were supposed to endorse the 120; 000 shillings set by the KCCA director, Jenifer Musisi or endorse the taxi drivers’ proposal to pay 70, 000 shillings per month.

Only six councilors turned up for the meeting with Lukwago. We are told that the KCCA director took the councilors who were meant to be in Lukwago’s meeting on a tour of the city.

Ultimate Media

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