By Siraje Lubwama
Kampala: The frustrated 1013 former employees of Kampala City Council (KCC), who were laid off after the organisation rebranded to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have been awarded Shs100Bn by president Yoweri Museveni.
The money will help to clear part of their hard won entitlements worth over Shs100Bn, which had been blocked by former KCCA executive director (ED) Jenifer Musisi.
In 2012, ten former KCC employees led by Justine Kasule, the former Principal Assistant Town Clerk in charge of Makindye Division on
behalf of other colleagues, through their lawyers led by Geoffrey Nangumya, petitioned court alleging that they were illegally terminated 17 months after KCCA had taken over KCC.
They sued the Ministry of Public Service and cabinet Affairs, the ED, KCCA, Attorney General (AG) and the Secretary Public Service Commission, challenging among
other things the use of ‘illegal’ Administrative guidelines issued by the latter with conditions contrary to those under KCCA Act which had hired their services.
On April 24, the High court (Civil Division) trial judge Lydia Mugambe issued her judgment, arguing that the termination was both embarrassing and inconveniencing because the applicants were dismissed unceremoniously before attaining 60 years of age as per the laws pertaining civil servants.
“After the verdict, Musisi appealed and she did so against the President’s advice not to appeal.
When she resigned as ED, the President advised the outgoing minister in charge of KCCA Betti Kamya to withdraw Musisi’s appeal and work with the AG to withdraw the appeal and pay the workers.
“When Museveni realized that Kamya was delaying his order, he withdrew the court file from her and handed it to someone else with instructions to see former employees paid expeditiously as ordered by the High Court,” said a source from president’s office which did not want to be identified.
After an out of court settlement, on December 11, Court made an order and a consent order of with the AG that each terminated employee be paid his unpaid entitlements, minus awarded costs on his or her personal bank account after reducing 10 percent meant for their lawyers.
Through in her ruling delivered on October December 31, 2018, Mugamba had ordered that the former employees be paid renumeration and other applicable benefits under the KCCA Act and other Government laws for the 17 months they worked at KCC/KCCA, with the out-of court settlement, with advice of their lawyers; it has been agreed that the former employees forget this money.
Talking to this reporter yesterday, Brian Ssegawa, a former parish chief in Busega, Kampala, said they are proud of the President’s initiative to pay them at the time where he needs them most in the coming general elections.
“We highly appreciate the president’s initiative a because Musisi had vowed that she would only pay us over her dead body; the unfortunate bit of this long success is that some of our people died before realizing fruits of our struggle. But the payments will benefit their living relatives,” said Ssegawa.
Other lead applicants include; Robina Kayongo Kayondo PATC, SimonMuhumuza, PRO, Moses Waidha financial officer, Frank Kaitale an enforcement officer, Geoffrey Kiiza a Medical officer, Geoffrey Ndaula the
deputy Director Finance, Musisi Godfrey who was the records officer and Angella
Ssemambo who was the Human resource manager but died recently.
One of the victims is a 23-year fresh graduate who had worked for only one year.
According to Kasule, 87 of their colleagues are sick and some are dead.
KCC ceased to exist on February 28, 2011 before the coming into force KCCA Act on March 1, 2011.
