Omar filed a suit against the Electoral Commission, Attorney General and former Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, Minister, Beti Olive Kamya in 2019 demanding that court compels them to split Bukasa ward into three administrative units with an equal number of eligible voters and services for the benefit of the residents.
High Court has directed government to demarcate Bukasa Ward in Makindye Division Kampala into three Administrative Units aligned to electoral areas. Civil Division High Court, Judge Musa Ssekaana issued the orders on Friday in his judgment on an application filed by Yasin Omari Assini, the Bukasa Ward LC 2 chairperson.
Omar filed a suit against the Electoral Commission, Attorney General and former Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, Minister, Beti Olive Kamya in 2019 demanding that court compels them to split Bukasa ward into three administrative units with an equal number of eligible voters and services for the benefit of the residents.
He proposed the administrative units as Muyenga Ward comprising Muyenga Hill, Muyenga A, Muyenga B, Kyeyitabya and Ssekindi Zones, Namongo Ward comprising Namongo A, Namongo B, Yoka, Kanyogoga, Tibaleka, Kayongo and Project Zones and; Bukasa Ward comprising Bukasa, Mugalu, Kijwa and Katongole Zones.
Omari told Court that on June 23rd, 2017 as Bukasa residents, they petitioned the then Minister for KCCA, Kamya requesting her to subdivide Bukasa ward into three wards due to the dense population but nothing was done.
Section 4(4) of the Kampala Capital City Authority Act mandates the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs to create Wards, Villages and Urban Councils and alter their boundaries in consultation with the authority.
The petitioner argued that the line Minister has a duty under the law to act once petitioned by the majority in a given locality through their division council meeting.
In his judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Ssekaana noted that the minister didn’t take any action since she was petitioned, which is contrary to the law and amounts to abuse of power.
“The community of Bukasa Ward made a resolution to have more administrative units and the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs is supposed to take a decision, which she has failed or refused to do. This is a breach of the Act that empowers her to take rational decisions’, ruled Ssekaana.
He issued an order compelling government to consider the applicant’s petition for creation of the said administrative units as soon as possible since it has been unattended to since 2017.
Story by Kukunda Judith
