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Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has intervened to address the longstanding payment issues faced by casual labourers working under the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). These labourers, primarily street sweepers organized into SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations), have endured four months without receiving their wages, leading to a peaceful protest at Parliament last Thursday.
During a meeting held on Tuesday, Speaker Among, alongside KCCA leadership, including Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, announced a resolution to the payment impasse. She assured that payments would be disbursed to the sweepers’ SACCOs on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, providing much-needed relief to the affected workers. Speaker Among emphasized the urgency of the situation, expressing concern over the suffering experienced by the labourers, many of whom are mothers, wives, and sisters.
The intervention followed Speaker Among’s direct engagement with the casual workers outside Parliament’s gates last week, where she listened to their grievances. Subsequently, a meeting was convened with KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development / Secretary to the Treasury, leading to the resolution to clear the outstanding arrears.
During the discussions, Speaker Among advised KCCA to reclassify the payments for the sweepers under recurrent expenditure rather than development expenditure, a move aimed at streamlining budget allocations to prevent future delays and frustrations. This adjustment is expected to facilitate smoother disbursements in the future, preventing similar payment delays from recurring.
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Expressing relief at the resolution of the longstanding issue, KCCA & Metropolitan Affairs Minister Minsa Kabanda conveyed gratitude for the collaborative efforts that led to the resolution. Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago highlighted the challenges arising from attempts to transition the casual labourers from their SACCOs to a single contracting company. He proposed a zoning system for Kampala to accommodate the interests of both the SACCOs and the contracted company, ensuring equitable distribution of sanitation responsibilities across the city.
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