The acting Executive Director of Kampala Frank Rusa Nyakaana has pledged to change the look of Kampala city in three months of his tenure.
Speaking to journalists at City Hall on Thursday, Rusa mentioned that to ease traffic congestion in the city, he plans to install traffic lights at 20 junctions within Kampala before Christmas.
These lights will be monitored centrally. He also indicated that a lot of work would be done in the first half of next year to improve traffic flow.
Furthermore, he added that KCCA engineers are designing space for speed buses in Kampala.
Through the Kampala Capital City Roads Rehabilitation Project, Rusa stated that several roads will be tarmacked between now and December, with priority given to Kyebando Road, Sentema 1 Road, Muzito Road, Luwafu Road, Ssuuna 1 and Ssuuna II Roads, 8th Street Road, Wamala Roads, Muteesa I Road, Old Mubende Road, and 3 kilometers of Old Port Bell Road.
He added that before Christmas, the authority will rehabilitate several potholes in the city. The acting ED stressed that while they will be working at an intensified pace, the authority will adhere to environmental protection protocols.
Regarding corruption at KCCA, Rusa admitted he is aware of the vice and pledged to combat it. He said he has instituted a Crime Intelligence Unit at KCCA, led by an assistant commissioner of police and staffed by six senior officers to conduct internal investigations.
He added that he will establish a staff monitoring committee tasked with ensuring KCCA employees are performing their duties correctly and on time.
“Corruption is an enemy of service delivery; if not tackled, it can destroy a nation,” Rusa stated.
On revenue collection, he mentioned that by the end of this year, the revenue collection team assured him they would have collected 31 billion shillings in three months.
He also committed to improving school infrastructure, which is in a dire state, including Kasubi Primary School, Nagulu Katale, and Kawempe, and purchasing land for Bukasa Primary School to create a playground for the learners.
During his speech, he vowed to implement a trade order in the city. He advised street vendors to occupy designated areas, such as Usafi, market, and leave the streets as soon as possible to bring order to the central business district.
Kampala is challenged by a significant number of street children wandering its roads. The acting ED stated that the authority’s gender directorate is committed to rescuing all street children by December. He acknowledged that the prevalence of street kids is caused by several factors, but the authority aims to study these causes and eliminate the issue.
Frank Rusa Nyakaana is the acting ED of KCCA following the sacking of Dorothy Kisaka, her deputy Engineer David Luyimbaazi, and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Daniel Okello.
Recently, Rusa expressed interest in taking on the top job at the authority, stating that he can lead, having been with KCCA and understanding the challenges of Kampala and how to address them.
He also noted his extensive leadership experience since the age of 28 in various organizations, making him a suitable candidate. He mentioned that several employees at City Hall have approached him, encouraging him to submit his application and try his luck.