By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
After four years in political sabbatical, the Ex-Entebbe Municipality Mayor, Vincent De Paul Kayanja has broken silence saying Entebbe has been messed up ever since he left office in 2021.
He added that he was robbed during broad daylight in the 2021 mayoral elections. During an interview with this reporter on Wednesday, 12th February, 2025, Kayanja announced that this time round, he will not stand for mayorship but categorically made it clear that he will run for Entebbe Municipality Member of Parliament, and vowed to unseat the incumbent legislator, Hon. Michael Kakembo Mbwatekamwa who was once his political assistant.
Ex-Mayor Kayanja explained:
‘When I look at what is happening in Entebbe I feel so absurd. During my tenure I tried my best to work for the electorate unlike the current leadership which is self-centered. Actually, Entebbe needs leaders like me, who have been in area leadership for over two decades because I understand what the people of Entebbe need. It’s so painful that I was robbed of my victory during broad daylight and it’s shameful that the electoral commission declared the fourth candidate a winner and I wondered if magic was applied.
“I began analyzing the politics of Entebbe in 1998 when I was elected youth councilor Entebbe Division ‘A’, then later appointed a division speaker, LC2 Chairperson and eventually stood for mayorship in 2011 and ruled for two terms. I was supposed to rule for the third term but unfortunately my victory was robbed in 2021 mayoral elections. By the way, I was not meant to stand for the third term since I had planned to run for the area Member of Parliament seat but after talks with Hon. Michael Kakembo Mbwatekamwa who was my political assistant, I gave him the opportunity to run on Democratic Party ticket though he later joined the National Unity Platform and now I hear he joined Democratic Alliance.
‘However this time round I’m going to run for Entebbe Municipality Member of Parliament on Democratic Party ticket. I am known to the electorate of Entebbe since I have been in the area leadership for the last two decades and above all, I am a born of Entebbe. During my reign I was never implicated in any scandals since I strongly believe in leadership with character. This is evident ever since I was a youth councilor way back in 1997, and if it was to award grades I would score grade one super. I attribute my transparency and good governance to professional training I acquired in the fields of accounting, finance, governance and human rights.
“Unlike my successor Fabrice Rulinda, I am extremely a unique leader and I was the chairperson of Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LAVRAC) for 10 years, Chairperson International council for local government Initiative on Environment (Africa) for 6years and a member of China-Uganda Friendship Association.
‘ Because of being creative and innovative, I’m the pioneer of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan project- a development initiative within Kampala, Entebbe, Mpigi, Kiira Municipality, Nansana Municipality and Makindye/Ssabagabo municipality. Prior to the project implementation, several consultants approached me and my other colleagues and our views were properly captured and resulted into the ongoing implementation of the said project within Greater Kampala metropolitan areas. I’m proud of laying the project foundation which has seen a number of roads being constructed and repaired to a desired standard.
‘During my tenure in office, I founded Entebbe Knowledge Center after liaising with CISCO International. We were able to train locals in computer literacy and by the time I left office over 4000 locals had acquired computer knowledge and skills. Besides this, we also trained locals in graphics and videography.
‘I also initiated the Entebbe annual marathon, an idea I got from Wuhan City where a good relationship was cemented with the city mayor who pledged to sponsor the marathon annually. Through this project we were able to raise around Shs.500 million and the proceeds were injected into face-lifting government schools with dilapidated structures, buying computers and furniture for government schools. The marathon also provided a good platform for the alumni to reunite and raise funds to repair their former schools. The marathon also exposed talented Ugandans to Wuhan City as they were able to participate in Wuhan marathon in China. It was during the Wuhan marathon that I sealed a deal to retool Entebbe locals in vocational studies and by the time I left office over 150 locals had benefited from this scheme.
‘ I initiated counseling programs in schools for all vacists at different levels and every year I would counsel over 3000 vacists and I did this for six consecutive years and the beneficiaries have a good story to tell.
“I strongly stood against the sale of Kitooro Taxi Park after some corrupt individuals had agreed to sell it to a local investor.
‘Furthermore, I founded the Entebbe Chamber of Commerce with the aim of uniting all people in the business sector because they are key taxpayers. ‘
Ex- Mayor observes gaps
In his explanation EX-Mayor Vincent Kayanja says there are a number of gaps which he claims the current leadership has ignored but promises that when he assures the MP seat he will address them and he said they are:
“Sincerely Entebbe being a tourism Center, it needs monuments like for Dr. Milton Obote, Gen. Idi Amin Dada, Paul Muwanga, Sir. Gerald Portal and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni among other historical figures. For that matter, we need creative leaders not dormant ones whose primary role is to warm office furniture in addition to cracking dirty deals.
“The current leadership is behind the sale of Entebbe Central market, St.Theresa school land, Lake Victoria school land, and Mary Reparatrix land to local investors. The incumbent Legislator Hon. Kakembo was aware of these illegal transactions but he deliberately kept quiet yet as the area legislator he was supposed to intervene and save government land.
“It’s wrong to make people pay money for garbage collection yet they pay taxes to the council. When elected the area Member of Parliament this has to stop immediately and the people of Entebbe deserve better because they pay taxes to council.’
