Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has been cited by leaders at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) over what some termed as “irregular” allocation of five plots of land in the city.
Last week, Parliament approved a motion to lease plots, including those on Namirembe Road, Offspring Road, Old Kira Road, Kenneth Close, and Lugogo, to private entities like Buganda Kingdom and Youth Alive Uganda to generate revenue for KCCA.
The session was chaired by Tayebwa.
However, the decision has faced backlash due to a lack of consultation with the KCCA, the body responsible for initiating such decisions.
KCCA Speaker Zahrah Luyirika told Bbeg Media after the council meeting today that they will investigate the issue to its logical conclusion. Other beneficiaries of the plots are businessman Hamis Kiggundu.
“As the council we have agreed to task the executive committee to come up with a conclusive report on how the deputy speaker Tayebwa and others acquired city plots without going through proper procedures.
Luyirika said Tayebwa ought to have gone through the KCCA approval process before acquiring the Plot 22A Nakivubo measuring 0.860 hectares (roughly two acres). [WATCH VIDEO BELOW]
It must be noted that by the time Tayebwa acquired the plot in 2018, he was not yet deputy speaker.
Yet by presiding over the parliamentary session on the same matter, critics argue that there could be conflict of interest issues for Tayebwa.
During the debate on the plots, no MP pointed out this apparent conflict of interest. However, the leader of the opposition Joel Ssenyonyi said the KCCA approval process had not been followed.
Sharifah Buzeki, the executive director of KCCA, said the Solicitor General had confirmed that some proceedures had not been followed while allocating the plots.
Tayebwa defended the process, citing Section 34(6) of the Public Finance Management Act which he claimed only requires a parliamentary resolution without mandating further consultation.
“I want to thank KCCA management for following the law,” Tayebwa said.
