Jennifer Musisi. Early this week,
news filtered out that Jennifer Musisi, had decided to relinquish her position
as the Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) after a
seven year stint in the post. I really don’t know much about our Jenny and I
never got to meet her properly except on one occasion three years ago at
Heathrow Airport and the tete-ta-tete lasted all but 20 minutes.
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| Our Jennifer's Letter of Resignation |
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| Adversaries? Musisi and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago |
One of the many things that Jenny
was venerated for, is her endeavor to beautify the city and give it some green.
In the road divides - along Kampala Road and Lugogo-by-Pass for example, she
planted grass and flowers. But she didn’t stop at that. Anybody caught walking
on the grass as they crossed the road was automatically arrested. And the same
fate befell any who mounted the kerbs to park their cars.
One afternoon and along Kampala
Road where the Nandos used to be, I sought to cross the road. There was a
footpath between the road divide – a mere six or seven steps further down but
honestly, I couldn’t be perturbed. I was going to cross the road where I wanted
to cross the road. And I did. I got onto the divide, trampled over the grass
and then across to the other side by Orient Bank.
As I stepped onto the pavement by
the bank, four men pounced on me – three of them in KCCA uniform and the other
in plainclothes and had me detained. But why would KCCA detain me? As
Plainclothes put it: “Eh TB, you of all people! You are educated and you should
have been an example to the rest by sauntering a couple of steps further down
the road and using the footpath but, you opted to walk across the grass?!?”
Obviously I profusely apologised
and after a stern 20-min lecture, they let off. Assuming they hadn’t, I would
have been hauled to a court - somewhere in the depths of the KCCA complex, found guilty and sent off to slash grass somewhere
in Wandegeya perhaps or, to sweep the dust off the road in Ndeeba.
Getting back to Jenny, there is hearsay
as to why she resigned. Did she jump before she was pushed? Did Lukwago’s
shenanigans wear her down? Did the same 'Mafia' that forced former Vice-President, Gilbert Bukenya play a role in her ouster? Is she going to the UN or to some grand job abroad
that’s devoid of backbiting and internal bickering?
I don't think it has anything to do with that. I think the real reason she quit is because of a tweet I posted last week which read:
“Woman selling tangerines on Kampala road had her entire
basket confiscated this afternoon. Question, what happens to them when the
truck gets back to headquarters? You give to homeless or do the chaps on the
truck divide amongst themselves.” KCCA Official did respond – a terse one-liner
saying: “Court decides on the course of
action.”
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| Jenny Scoops An Award |
My
retort? “But they didn't even take down her
details. They just loaded the tangerines and off they went. Where is she
supposed to start from come Monday morning?” There was no response from Jenny
or KCCA Official.
As I type, I
feel more than a tad guilt-ridden. It was me, I am to blame. Did my tweet break her? Did she feel she had
no better recourse of action than to resign for what her law enforcement team
did to the old lady? Does she feel very bitter with me? Will she come looking for revenge?
For the time being, I am keeping a low profile, a very low profile in a far flung district in northern Uganda, But perhaps one day
I’ll meet up with her for a drink and she’ll let me know if it was I who pushed
her over the edge…
Pictures: URN, Eagleonline
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