Following a video released last week depicting brutality meted out on a female street vendor, Kampala Capital City Authority has suspended 4 of its own enforcement officers pending investigations into their conduct.
This was revealed by the Human Resource Director at KCCA Mr. Richard Lule during a special council meeting convened by the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on Wednesday to discuss the brutality of the enforcement officers.
“It was an operational mistake that we regret and apologize to all affected. We have however suspended the 4 enforcement officers indicated in the video pending investigations, “Mr.Lule told the special council meeting.
He named Fred Kabiito, Rogers Maganda, Florence Nakiwala and Eva Nalukenge as the enforcement officers suspended pending investigations by the staff monitoring committee for KCCA.
Heated Meeting
It was a heated meeting on Wednesday as the Lukwago led KCCA council meeting discussed the brutality meted out to a one Robinah Namugenyi, a mother of 2 while being arrested by enforcement officers.
In the video played during the meeting, the vendor is seen being brutally arrested as her 2 children on the back wail loudly as their mother is later thrown onto a waiting KCCA enforcement pick-up vehicle.
KCCA officials mishandling another vendor recently
The mother of 2 has since been convicted of vending without a trade license and jailed for 128 days at Luzira prison by the City Hall Magistrate’s court.
Lukwago told the councilors that it was disheartening to watch the images of the lady being treated in an inhumane manner; stressing an urgent action has to be taken on the errant enforcement officers.
“This meeting is on short notice because of the public outcry about what is happens to members of the public and it requires immediate attention, “Lukwago told the council.
The councilors noted that it was absurd that enforcement officers continued treating vendors of animals while arresting them, stressing that a tough action ought to be taken against them.
“Why should they (vendors) be arrested yet KCCA failed to issue trading licenses to them? What we saw on video is just a tip of the iceberg but a lot happens,”Makerere councilor Doreen Nyanjura argued.
Unprofessional
The councilors blasted the enforcement officers for lacking the basic principles of professionalism while arresting street vendors relating it to the poor training they receive.
“There were several ways she could be handled if she had been approached by professional and well trained enforcement officers, “Kennedy Okello said.
“It is not possible to achieve one hundred percent compliance using this way of enforcement.”
The councilors also blamed the City Hall Magistrate’s court for being unfair in as far as handling cases related to vendors.
They cited a receipt on which one vendor was asked to pay Shs600, 000 to be able to secure bail stressing it is not fair to the vendors who have small capital.
Resolutions
The KCCA council however resolved that Robinah Namugenyi be released from Luzira prison and investigations into the conduct of enforcement officers start.
“We condemn the acts of brutality by enforcement officers and ask for a streamlined mechanism as far as enforcement is concerned, “the council meeting chaired by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago resolved.