Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is crying foul, after KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi insisted that they will not pay his salary arrears which accumulated during the time when the latter had been impeached.
In a June 14th affidavit, Musisi says government can't pay Lukwago salary arrears amounting to over 560 million Shillings until all the legal suits on the matter are disposed of by the court.
"I believe that the applicant (Lukwago) herein is not presently entitled to any payment whatsoever," the affidavit reads.
Lukwago snubbed yesterday's council meeting at City Hall saying that Musisi's move to swear an affidavit is against numerous council resolutions which called on the executive director to clear the emoluments.
The main thrust of the litigation, according to Musisi's affidavit, is the 2014 court of appeal case which quashed Justice Lydia Mugambe's ruling that ordered government to pay Lukwago 560 million Shillings as salary arrears for the 30 months he was out of office. Lukwago was impeached in November 2013 with councillors accusing him of incompetence, abuse of office and misconduct.
When Justice Muagambe ruled in favour of Lukwago, government appealed the case and Justice Steven Kavuma issued an interim order overturning the judgement. This prompted Lukwago run to the Supreme Court which ordered Court of Appeal to expeditiously dispose of government's main application challenging Justice Mugambe's ruling. Three justices; Remmy Kasule, Kenneth Kakuru and Egonda Ntende were selected to hear the case in February 2016 but the case never commenced.
Lukwago in March this year took KCCA to court, together with the Minister for Kampala, Beti Kamya, the executive director, Jennifer Musisi Ssemakula and the Attorney General demanding the payment of his arrears.
Though Lukwago has written to the executive director on numerous occasions demanding his payment, Musisi says the Attorney General advised KCCA that "it would be in contempt of court for Lukwago to be paid a salary or to derive a benefit from the office of the Lord Mayor for the period he was out of office until determination of the matter before the courts of law."
Musisi says Attorney General's opinion has been shared with Lukwago who perpetually decided to disregard it.
