Game Over: Lukwago Swears in Today

The long waited swearing in of political leaders at the Kampala capital city Authority, KCCA takes today after a number of postponements.

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has emerged victor in a battle that has lasted years, as many viewed it as a plan by the authority technical team to fail him. He now walks with a smile and swag, like his friend Dr. Besigye would say, if he was not in jail.

Lukwago’s swearing in ceremony was initially set for May 20th, but would later be postponed to June 1st, and then today June 6th 2016.

The first postponement was not explained by the authority administrators, while the latter came after a request from the IGP Gen. Kale Kayihura who wrote to the city ED Jennifer Musisi explaining that his force would not be able to deploy as needed to police the ceremony due to the martyrs’ day celebrations in Namugongo on Friday, and the visits of two heads of State for South Korea and Turkey.

The IGP requested that the swearing in ceremony be moved to today, a request that was honored. Part of Kayihura’s letter read, “We are hosting two Heads of State, from the Republic of South Korea and the Republic of Turkey. We are preparing for the Uganda Martyrs’ day celebrations due Friday 3rd June 2016, with pilgrims streaming into Kampala City. In view of the above events, the focus of the police and sister security forces is to effectively secure visiting Heads of State and pilgrims. The capacity of police and sister security forces shall be over stretched.”

Accordingly, the KCCA administration on Friday announced a postponement of the events to today.

Lukwago says he will leave his home at 9:00am in Lubaga division this morning and head to city hall. He says the other arrangements of him taking oath are with KCCA. Lukwago’s oath will be overseen by a member of the justice department unlike in 2011, when it was overseen by Jennifer Musisi, the authority executive director.

Lukwago’s last term was characterized with drama including his impeachment by Lord Councilors in 2013 citing abuse of office and court cases that are still pending.