Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo has said he has not been informed of any planned meeting between the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the leadership of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to discuss the state of roads in the capital.
Gen Muhoozi announced over the weekend through his X account that he would meet KCCA officials this week as part of efforts to find solutions to Kampala’s deteriorating road network.
“My first meeting with KCCA is next week! What road should we start on?” Gen Muhoozi posted, inviting members of the public to suggest priority roads for rehabilitation.
However, appearing on NBS Television on Monday, Balimwezo said he had neither received an invitation nor any official communication regarding the proposed meeting.
“I don’t know which meeting. I’ve not been invited. And I must, for any meeting, I have a party, a party that I do consult when I’m going to discuss any issue with any external person. I must consult my party,” Balimwezo said.
The Lord Mayor, who belongs to the National Unity Platform (NUP), stressed that consultation with his party would guide his decision on whether to attend any engagement involving external stakeholders, regardless of who extends the invitation.
“And believe me, even if the President called me today and he has an agenda, I will discuss with my party, to either give me authority or to tell me, ‘Please don’t,’ because of this and that,” he added.
Balimwezo nevertheless said he would be willing to meet the CDF if his party approved the engagement.
“Once NUP says meet any Ugandan that wants to add value to the city, and my party tells me so, I will meet him. Very much. Well, sure,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing public interest in how his leadership will relate with the central government following his election as Kampala Lord Mayor.
His predecessor, Erias Lukwago, spent much of his 15-year tenure in office locked in political and legal disputes with the central government over the management of Kampala and the powers of the city’s elected leadership.
The anticipated engagement also follows Gen Muhoozi’s renewed push for improvements to Kampala’s road infrastructure. In recent weeks, the CDF has argued that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) should take a leading role in implementing road construction projects in the city, citing delays and poor performance by some contractors.
Gen Muhoozi has maintained that if the UPDF were entrusted with road budgets and project implementation, road works would be completed more efficiently, helping transform Kampala into one of Africa’s best cities.
It remains unclear whether the proposed meeting between the CDF and KCCA leadership will proceed as planned and which city officials are expected to participate.
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