Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has defended its handling of disputed public land, saying it has submitted its position on City Square and Nakivubo Settlement to the Minister for Kampala for onward consideration by President Yoweri Museveni.
The authority’s Executive Director, Sharifah Buzeki, told Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) that KCCA’s Executive Committee and Council had forwarded a report on the two sites, pending further guidance from the minister.
The statement follows a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Museveni on Monday, October 26, at which ministers agreed that the historic Constitution Square, now known as City Square, should not be altered because of its historical significance and the memorial commemorating the 1945 World War.
The proposed changes to the site have renewed scrutiny of public land previously allocated for investment and commercial development.
Appearing before COSASE to respond to queries raised in the Auditor General’s report, Buzeki said she would provide further clarification on Nakivubo Settlement after engaging the minister on the authority’s submitted position.
The committee also questioned KCCA over the status of land in Burundu, acquired for waste disposal, amid reports of encroachment. Rubaga North MP Abubaker Kawalya demanded an update on measures to protect the property and ensure it serves its intended purpose.
KCCA officials also faced questions over land at Kasenge, where the authority is reportedly involved in a court dispute.
On the Kasenge property, KCCA’s Head of Land Management Unit, Nathan Kasule, said the authority was pursuing the matter through the relevant land administration processes.
Kasule explained that KCCA’s lease had expired and that an application to renew it exposed discrepancies in the land boundaries, prompting a joint survey with the Uganda Land Commission to establish the correct boundaries.
He said the authority was awaiting a decision on the proposed re-plotting, adding that the exercise was necessary to establish the exact land occupied by the cemetery and avoid further disputes.
The committee pressed KCCA to clarify whether it could retain the property if the lease was not renewed, with officials maintaining that the matter remained subject to the land commission’s decision.
Meanwhile, Buzeki defended the authority’s plans to improve waste management, saying government had funded the first phase of interventions, including additional trucks, fencing and a waste-sorting bay.
She said KCCA had also invited private investors to establish waste-to-value facilities under a design, finance, build, operate and handover arrangement, allowing companies to invest in converting waste into products such as electricity, compost and briquettes.
Buzeki said the approach would supplement government funding and reduce KCCA’s financial burden while improving waste management in the city.
The authority also attributed gaps in revenue collection to understaffing, limited logistical support, poor tax compliance and public concerns over property rates and rental tax.
KCCA disclosed that only 98 of the 169 approved positions in its revenue directorate were filled, limiting field enforcement and collection activities.
The authority said it was pursuing staffing improvements and stronger revenue recovery measures to increase collections and support service delivery.
