A city of two tales: The struggle for the soul of Kampala, first among African capitals

Into this maelstrom steps the newly minted Kampala City Council Authority that has statutorily taken over the powers of the City Council. In a strange twist, the executive director is appointed by the president, while the city mayor remains directly elected.

This has increasingly had the effect of formalising the spiritual divide between the city’s vibrant native identities on the one hand, and the veritable “Dubai-by-the-lake” being attempted by the thrusting modern republicans.

As things stand, the mayor and City Executive Director Jennifer Musisi are facing off in court with the mayor seeking clarification on his powers, having complained that he and therefore those who elected him, are being marginalised.

The new Authority was created through hurried legislation on the eve of the last election. Given that the ruling party has never won the seat since the reintroduction of multiparty politics, the opposition sees the authority as a backdoor NRM takeover.

In justifying the need for the new authority, President Museveni has been correct in blaming the opposition for some of the city’s mismanagement, but then again, pretending to do the right thing has been the operational tradition in the NRM.

The question remains as to whether this shake-up is genuine and not so much a land grab as a “space grab” of all the commercially viable areas in the city.

The comically clumsy attempts — laced with shocking bouts of gratuitous violence — by supporters of the ruling party mayoral candidate to steal the last election, only helped confirm the suspicion that in seeking to exclude the voters’ voice, the NRM has no good intentions for the city.

The real test will be when known crony-owned buildings are seen coming down, and native markets are left in place.