Big tasks await new Masaka city mayor

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Big tasks are awaiting the new mayor of Masaka city Florence Namayanja.

Namayanja, the former Member of Parliament for Bukoto East constituency was on Tuesday inaugurated as mayor of Masaka city. She replaces Godfrey Kayemba who served for two consecutive terms until 2020 when it was elevated to city status.

Namayanja and her team are taking over a town whose land area was recently expanded to 360.4 kilometres from 46 square kilometres of the traditional municipality. This was after the annexing of two sub-counties and six parishes from the neighbouring local governments.

The city is however faced with a long list of challenges ranging from lack of structural development plan which expired in 1999, lack of garbage dumping site and management plan, low local revenue collections, lack of an asset register guiding revenue collection and lack of office premises.

The others are poor public transport management system, poor community access roads, controversial allocation and sale of public properties including greenbelts, embezzlement of public funds through the opening of secret bank accounts by technocrats among many other inadequacies that have undermined the previous leadership.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held at the Masaka Sports Arena in Kitovu, the Bishop of Masaka Catholic Diocese Serverus Jjumba asked the new city leadership to brave for the responsibilities ahead and always consult stakeholders whenever there is need.

Jackie Kemigisha, the principal urban inspector in the Ministry of Local Government challenged the incoming leadership to work towards developing Masaka into a resilient and inclusive for all city to enable realize development.

She indicated that she was confident, that given her leadership experience, Namayanja will marshal the required abilities to steer Masaka in line with the national urban agenda.

Namayanja pledged to focus on presenting responsible leadership which is accountable and calls for public participation in the affairs of the city.

Namayanja said that she will call for a meeting of stakeholders to share with them her vision of what she desires for Masaka.

Namayanja becomes the thirteenth mayor of Masaka since 1968 when the then town council was elevated to municipality.

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