The Masaka City mayoral race has drawn five candidates, each pledging to address the main issues impacting the city. The candidates include the incumbent and National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer Florence Namayanja, National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Fredrick Ddembe Kipapaali, Democratic Front’s (DF) Michael Mulindwa Nakumusana, and Independents Godfrey Kayemba Afayo and Francis Ssengabi. The candidates are, however, faced with a daunting task of providing solutions to a number of challenges the city is grappling with.
Masaka, referred to as Buganda’s ‘capital city’, is one of the oldest urban units in Uganda that was constructed by colonialists. It became a township in 1953, a town council in 1958, and a municipality in 1968. In July 2020, the municipality was elevated to city status, alongside nine other municipalities, which became regional cities. Currently, the city, which sits on 100 square kilometres, is grappling with many challenges, including, among others, poor garbage and waste management after failing to establish a modern landfill. It also lacks a well-developed structural and physical plan, yet its growth is hampered by low local revenue collections.
On garbage, the city leaders say construction of a modern landfill had proved to be an expensive venture and needed a partner whom they failed to get. To set up a modern garbage treatment plant, the city authorities say they need over Shs480m, which money they have failed to raise to date. A couple of years ago, city authorities banned the sale and buying of plots of land that are smaller that 100 feet by 50 feet in size. However, this has not fully been enforced, and in some parts of the city, parcels of plots of land as small as 50 feet by 30 feet are still going on unabated.
Ms Florence Namayanja
Ms Namayanja, who is seeking a second term, promises to take forward her fight for nature and environment, and to protect the social rights of city dwellers to ensure they live in a clean and safe city. She also promises to fight against land grabbing, a vice, she says is eating up the city, which has also left several public open spaces being claimed by moneyed business people in the area. ‘During my first term of office, I have tried to save some pieces of land for the city council from being grabbed by several private developers and ensured some public land gets titles. So far, five city plots of land have been secured with registered land titles,’ she explains.
Ms Namayanja, the only woman in the race, is credited with improving garbage collection after hiring two private firms, where dwellers pay some money to support the initiative. ‘The two private firms -TUMACAS and YAMAC, have helped in reducing uncollected heaps of garbage in the city. City dwellers have also adopted better ways of managing their garbage and wait for the trucks of the private partners to pick it up and take it to the place where it is dumped. ‘I promise to improve this and set a reasonable garbage fee according to the law,’ she says
She defends the decision to privatise solid waste management, saying the problem had become chronic due to dwindling local revenue collection, yet this component alone is costing them 46 percent of their total budget. Masaka generates at least 100 tonnes of garbage every week, but the local government leadership is only able to collect 70 percent, leaving 30 percent of the garbage uncollected. Michael Mulindwa Nakumusana
Mr Nakumusana is the outgoing Nyendo/ Mukungwe Municipality mayor and also Democratic Front (DF) flag bearer. He promises to fight irregular land allocations in the city, which he says is rampant. He blames the problem on previous city leaders, who, he says, parcelled out public land for their selfishness again. ‘Corruption is also a challenge I need to tackle when elected city mayor. The city is in the process of recruiting new staff, and we want people to get jobs on merit without any favouritism,’ he adds.
Fredrick Ddembe Kipapaali
The ruling NRM party flag bearer promises to revive coffee farming in the rural parts of the city by giving out coffee seedlings. He also promises to lobby the government to introduce more projects that can change the well-being of the dwellers. ‘Masaka is stuck in development because it misses a connection with the ruling government. Almost all the leaders are from the Opposition, and the area cannot develop when they cannot meet the President, who is the fountain of honour,’ Mr Ddembe says.
Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo
The former Masaka City mayor has promised to fight exploitative tax policies in the city, which he says are crippling small businesses. He also promises to unite all people from different political parties. ‘Unfortunately, the new city started with several projects when I was still mayor, but my predecessor is not aggressive, and it is the reason she has not signed any new projects. Most of her time has been spent fighting wars; this is not what the city residents need,’ he claims. He promises to improve social services like education, health, and better roads.
Francis Ssengabi
Once elected mayor, Mr Ssengabi promises to deliver to the people of Masaka a city that has better social services, where traders operate without being overtaxed by the city leaders. He also promises to introduce an organised modern transport system, which offers affordable rates to the dwellers, as well as fetch revenue to the council.
Background
The city has three constituencies, including Kimaanya/ Kaboonera, Nyendo-Mukungwe, and the city women’s parliamentary seat. It has a total population of 294,166 people, of which 146,006 are registered voters at 314 polling stations.
Issues at hand
* Poor garbage and waste management
* Lack of a modern landfill
* Lack of a well-developed structural and physical plan
* Low local revenue collections (although the city revenue grew from Shs2.4 billion to Shs3 billion in the FY2022/2023 to Shs5.7 billion in FY2023/2024, this is still little to run the city affairs since a big portion of the city budget still comes from the central government ).
* Lack of a decent administrative block (city hall) and various city departments are currently scattered in different buildings on Edward Avenue and Elgin Street.
* Poor roads and schools in areas annexed to the city.