KCCA & 'condemned' structures: Damned if you do, Damned if you Don't!

KCC has a big challenge in its hands. It is damned if it does (anything) and damned if it does not. As some have taken on the mantle to tell KCCA what to do, its my hope that they are also able to applaud the Authority for trying to do anything! More importantly though, we ought to remember that if anything goes wrong regarding the state of public facilities like buildings collapsing or uncovered manholes being the cause of accidents in the City, the institution to blame is KCCA. Thus, KCCA must act and although its actions will inconvinience some or all, we must give it this space to perform - we all are going to benefit from this -

Some want KCCA to start elsewhere before it gets to removing the kiosks that belong to what they call the ''Deprived of the Earth''. While i abhor the term in reference to fellow human beings, I know for a fact that not all kiosks belong to those who are below or very close to the poverty line. In any case, such actions were already taken. See here , here and here . KCCA started with Tinyefuza and Sebbaggala - did anyone credit it for that or not? Who says its doing nothing about the poorly built structures?

Even if KCCA had not started with the double storeyed commercial buildings, what difference will it make starting with one group not another? If a wrong is being done, it shouldn't matter where one starts to correct it unless its a situation where one action is totally dependent on the other eg trim the branches that will destroy a house before cutting down a huge mvule tree. Thus, if someone has been given notice about an illegality, its futile to ask the law enforcement officers to arrest another defaulter before doing the same to the culprit in question. In any case, why resist an eviction forcefully knowing full well that your adversary has the weapons of coercion? Why not call in an equally competent opponent to your advesary and in this case, the police? However, i still dont understand why one would wait to remove their belongings until the law enforcement officers come? Isn't that impunity and dis-regard for the law??

Bottom line, KCCA has to do something and it ought to start somewhere - it must start somewhere - anywhere. Kampalans or Ugandans have suffered enough with poor services. Lets stop excusing illegalities and instead support KCCA. I am very sure that those whose buildings or kiosks were condemned were given adequate warning. The Director of KCCA is way too professional to act haphazardly. Section 33 of the Physical Planning Act 2010 is clear- I only hope our MPs read the bill before they passed it into law!!

In my camp, i will say to KCCA, Aluta Continua!