The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has dismissed allegations that it used public funds to finance billboards welcoming President Yoweri Museveni to Kampala during his Parish Development Model (PDM) tours.
The Authority clarified that the billboards, which bore images of the President and KCCA Executive Director Benon Kigenyi, were donated by well-wishers and not paid for using taxpayer money.
This clarification came during an August 1, 2025 appearance before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE), in response to concerns raised in the December 2024 Auditor General’s report.
The inquiry was initiated by Nakaseke Central MP Allan Mayanja, who questioned the source of funding.
“When you see billboards around the city saying ‘KCCA welcomes President Museveni,’ we need to know who paid for them. If it was KCCA, what budget line was used?” Mayanja asked.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago distanced the political leadership from the matter, stating it was never discussed by the Authority’s Central Executive Committee. He indicated that KCCA’s Public Accounts Committee will independently investigate the issue.
“This falls squarely under the Accounting Officer’s mandate. There was no executive-level discussion or approval. Management must explain the matter,” Lukwago said.
KCCA Executive Director Benon Kigenyi insisted that the Authority incurred no expenditure.
“These billboards were donated at no cost to KCCA. There are no payments recorded, and no entries appear in our accounts,” Kigenyi told the committee.
However, some MPs remained unconvinced. Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa questioned how such valuable donations could bypass formal procedures without accountability.
“Even if donated, such items require disclosure under the leadership code. Could these billboards have been erected under political pressure?” Basalirwa asked. “If they had contained defamatory content, would KCCA have still accepted them as donations?”
The discussion widened to include concerns over KCCA’s removal of political candidates’ posters and billboards during previous election cycles. Critics argued that the Authority’s actions could be seen as selective enforcement and politically motivated.
KCCA’s Director of Legal Services, Frank Rusa, defended the move, citing the Authority’s legal mandate to regulate public advertising and remove unauthorized materials. But Lord Mayor Lukwago countered, arguing that KCCA management misinterpreted the law and bypassed political oversight structures.
“Our legal assessment concluded that the Physical Planning and Building Control Acts don’t govern political campaign materials. Any decision on such matters should involve all stakeholders, not just party officials,” Lukwago said.
Further concerns were raised by MPs Medard Sseggona (Busiro East) and Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County), who questioned the exclusion of independent candidates from consultative processes.
“Are independents to be excluded simply because we’re not in political parties?” Okupa asked.
Sseggona criticized what he described as increasing hostility toward political actors.
“Why are political rallies banned while religious events continue freely? KCCA should designate zones for campaign materials instead of blanket bans,” he said. “One day, those targeted today could be in charge.”
Deputy Executive Director Kigenyi defended the Authority’s approach, stressing that the removal of posters was driven by public safety concerns, not politics.
“Some posters were placed in dangerous locations. Our outreach to party Secretaries General was meant to promote orderly campaigns, not target anyone,” he said. “We are not hostile toward politicians, we vote too.”
The exchange revealed ongoing tensions between KCCA’s regulatory role and the expectations of political leaders, with calls for clearer policies, stakeholder engagement, and transparency in the management of public spaces, especially during election periods.
