KCCA tribunal: Musisi cross-examined Kampala Capital City Authority Executive Director Jennifer Musisi on Wednesday found a tough time answering questions from Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago’s lawyer Abdu Katuntu regarding her office in the ongoing investigations into the conduct of the Lord Mayor. Daily Monitor’s Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa recorded the proceedings. C..........................................Chairperson K.......................................Abdu Katuntu M...................................Jennifer Musisi O......Alfred O. Oryem (panel member) C: Please, the Lord Mayor of this City cannot be squeezed in a corner somewhere. Let him switch seats with the neighbours over there or with neighbours over here, but this type of sitting is not proper. [Lord Mayor moves to another seat where members on the panel have direct eye contact with him] C: That is much better! [Attracting murmuring from the audience] C: Counsel (Katuntu), you are reminded about the time scheduled. We did concede from 45 minutes to one hour because you said you need the whole proceedings for you to really understand the whole proceeding for you to finish. : Yes, Your Honour and to my understanding, you gave us three days; today, tomorrow and Friday. And even if it means handling one witness, we are ready to compensate by either ignoring some other witness or even working within a shorter period but just to limit ourselves within the time you have given us. She (Musisi) is a very important witness as we understand and we may even decide to sacrifice some other witnesses and first finish up with her. C: This is a reminder that you (Musisi) have been recalled for cross-examination and you must remember that the last time you we were here you swore to tell the truth, but nothing but the truth. And we remind you that you are here for cross examination. K: Mrs Jennifer Semakula Musisi, Executive Director of Kampala City Council Authority. Is that the proper description of both your name and title? M: No, it is not. K: What is the correct name? M: My name is Jennifer Semakula Musisi, Executive Director Kampala Capital City Authority. K: Ok, for the record. I just want to proceed like this, I would like to ask you about a communication you wrote on November 2, 2012 to the Minister in-charge of Kampala, Frank K Tumwebaze; reference: The Authority’s decision to refer the executive director and directors to His Excellency the President for disciplinary action. Can you confirm to this tribunal that actually that is your signature M: Can I read the letter first (she is given time to go through the letter) K: It is your letter? M: Yes, It is! K: When is it dated? M: November 2, 2012 K: Reference? M: Reference: Authority’s decision to refer the executive director and directors to His Excellency the President for disciplinary action. K: May you read the contents of that letter loudly to the tribunal. M: (She reads) ..At a special Authority meeting held on September 28, 2012 the Authority under the chairmanship of the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago resolved as follows; that the management staff needed to be disciplined because of lack of respect to the Authority, insubordination, impunity, incompetence, misconduct, and absconding from Authority meetings. They then resolved that they would converge at City Hall on October 1, 2012 and write a letter to the appointing authority, His Excellency the President, requesting him to take disciplinary action against the executive director and all directors. I am referring this matter to you for guidance under Section 79 Section 17 and Section 25 (I) of KCCA Act 2010. In the circumstances and pending your guidance, KCCA management team would be unable to attend Authority meetings. Yours sincerely Jennifer Semakula Musisi, Executive Director Kampala Capital City Authority, copy to His Excellency the President, Chairman Public Service Commission, Lord Mayor, KCCA councillors, KCCA directors. K: Did you or any of your staff attend that special meeting held on September 28, 2012? M: I would need to get the dates and the correspondences related to that date because I don’t have it here. K: Did you attend that meeting or any of your staff attended that meeting, the one you are referencing to in that letter?. M: The one in the letter to the minister? I didn’t attend the meeting. K: Did your staff attend? M: Yes, (She stammers a bit) I got a report that some staff had attended, I did not record it. K: Who told you that some staff attended? Can you show this honourable tribunal the attendance of Authority during that meeting? M: I cannot because I didn’t have a record of attendance. K: How long does it take you to get that record because all the minutes and so on are over here, and we know who attended that meeting and we eventually resolve the way they did. O: [Interjects] You mean the meeting of Authority that made the resolution? And the question is.. K: Who attended that meeting among the staff and councillors? O: My Lord, there is some attendance register dated September 28, 2012. I don’t know whether it is the one my colleague is referring to. K: Yes, can she read for us the names? M: (She reads the list of attendance but none of her staff is mentioned) K: Is it true that all the petitioners in this particular petition were part of this meeting that resolved as stated in that letter of yours? M: It appears so. K: So, all these councillors who are petitioning were part of the meeting that resolved that you and your directors be disciplined because of lack of respect to the Authority, insubordination, impunity, incompetence, for misconduct, and absconding from Authority meetings? M: It appears so. K: Were they right? M: I cannot form an opinion. But it appears like they were part of the decision. K: Were they right in the opinion that you, Jennifer Musisi, the Executive Director of KCCA and your directors are guilty of lack of respect for the Authority, insubordination, impunity, incompetence, for misconduct, and absconding from Authority meetings, actually the same charges they are levelling against the executive mayor? M: In the absence of evidence… K: No, just answer my question.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 23:59:40 +0000
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