SWIFT KCCA ACTION PRAISED AS COSASE PROBES OWINO MARKET DEMOLITION

City authority officials struck a firm, composed tone before Parliament on Wednesday, defending decisive action that halted an unauthorized demolition at Owino Market and reaffirming their push to restore order in the capital.

Appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, a team from Kampala Capital City Authority led by Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi made it clear: the March 7 demolition was not sanctioned by the authority.

“By the time this happened, KCCA was not in the know and could not give authorization,” Kigenyi told the committee.

He said the response from the authority was immediate and hands-on. The Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, rushed to the site at dawn the next day and stopped the works.

“The Executive Director was on site at 4 a.m. on the morning of March 8 and halted the demolition,” Kigenyi said, adding that a committee was promptly instituted, with findings compiled and formalized in a report by March 12.

The committee report, compiled by experts from KCCA, the Ministry of Works and Transport and State House, found that the affected structures had already been compromised, posing significant safety risks to traders and the public and necessitating a controlled, lawful demolition of the remaining sections.

“We issued a demolition permit to the developer to ensure that the structurally compromised buildings were taken down in a safe and regulated manner,” the report said.

Authorities have since arrested four individuals linked to the incident and impounded equipment used in the operation, moves lawmakers viewed as a sign of enforcement strength.

Ssegona commended the Executive Director for taking swift action to halt the illegal demolition.

“She was proactive and moved at night despite the risks to stop the demolition,” Ssegona said

Lawmakers also acknowledged KCCA’s broader impact across the city.

Workers MP Charles Bakabulindi praised the authority for “bringing sanity and restoring trade order in the city,” while Naume Kabasharara Rushenyi County MP welcomed ongoing infrastructure works.

“We appreciate that roads are being worked on,” she said.

Ssegona further pointed to improvements in traffic flow, saying the Kampala Flyover project “has brought some sanity” to movement within the city.

On compensation, Kigenyi reported steady progress following the Kiteezi Landfill disaster. Of the 95 affected individuals earmarked for compensation from the 4.3 billion shillings allocated, 93 have already been paid.

“One beneficiary is out of the country and another has unresolved bank details,” Kigenyi said.

Addressing flooding challenges linked to the city, Kigenyi said KCCA has a comprehensive drainage master plan, though it remains unfunded. In the interim, the authority is actively managing high-risk zones through dredging and desilting.

He also acknowledged temporary traffic disruptions caused by ongoing road upgrades, noting that only about 700 kilometers of Kampala’s 2,104-kilometer road network are currently paved, a gap KCCA is steadily working to close.

But the mood of the session leaned one way: recognition that when the crisis hit, KCCA moved fast, took control, and is now pushing forward, cleaning up both the city and the systems that run it.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali

Communication and Media Relations Officer