BALIMWEZO ASSUMES OFFICE AS LORD MAYOR OF KAMPALA

Kampala entered a new political chapter Wednesday as Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo was sworn in as the city’s Lord Mayor, taking charge of Uganda's capital.

The ceremony at City Hall blended official pageantry with political symbolism as newly elected councilors and city leaders formally assumed office for a five-year term that will shape the direction of Uganda’s capital through a period of ambitious urban transformation.

Balimwezo arrived at City Hall at 10:49 a.m. to loud cheers and ululations from supporters gathered outside the venue. He was accompanied by his wife, Rachel Balimwezo, and Nakawa West MP and former Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi.

At City Hall, Her Worship Ritah Neumbe Kidasa presided over the swearing-in ceremony for the Lord Mayor and the 34 directly elected councilors who make up the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) council.

The new council is largely dominated by members from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the National Unity Platform (NUP), setting the stage for a politically competitive term at City Hall.

One by one, councilors took oath before receiving instruments of authority from KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki. The documents included copies of the Constitution of Uganda, the KCCA Act, the Local Government Act and the Rules of Procedure for the KCCA Councils.

At exactly 1 p.m., Balimwezo took oath as Kampala’s new Lord Mayor amid excitement from supporters, moments after singer Bobi Wine’s “Mazzi Mawanvu (Deep Waters)” played through the venue and adding a political undertone to the ceremony.

He succeeds Erias Lukwago, who served as Kampala Lord Mayor for 15 years from 2011 until May 2026.

In his maiden speech, Balimwezo emphasized teamwork and collaboration with KCCA’s technical leadership as central to improving services across the city.

“I give glory and honor to God through all this journey. God offered me strength and guidance to serve the people of Kampala,” he said.

The new Lord Mayor specifically praised the cooperation extended by the KCCA administration and pledged to work closely with the technical team led by Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki.

“Thank you, Executive Director, for accepting to work with me. I am going to work with you,” Balimwezo said, drawing applause from the audience.

His remarks signaled a new phase of cooperation between the political and technical leadership at City Hall, a development many observers say could strengthen implementation of critical city programs.

Balimwezo outlined key priorities including waste management, road infrastructure, drainage improvement, environmental protection and expansion of social services such as education.

He acknowledged the progress already being made under KCCA’s ongoing urban development programs while calling for stronger stakeholder involvement to further improve Kampala’s livability.

“Garbage is one critical challenge we must address,” he said, urging residents to embrace proper waste management practices and environmental responsibility.

He also highlighted the need to improve road infrastructure and increase access to government schools in underserved communities.

“Our goal as new leadership is to restore trust in Kampala by bringing all stakeholders together to discuss the Kampala they want,” Balimwezo said.

Buzeki congratulated the newly elected political leadership and reaffirmed the readiness of the technical team to work closely with them in delivering the city’s development agenda.

“Congratulations to the elected leaders. My team and I are fully ready to work with you and support the implementation of Kampala’s priorities,” Buzeki said.

The new administration assumes office at a time when KCCA is implementing its ambitious five-year Strategic Plan for FY2025/26–FY2029/30 valued at Shs11.9 trillion.

Anchored on the theme “Revitalizing Kampala into a Functional City,” the plan prioritizes road upgrades, drainage improvement, climate resilience, modern waste management systems and the rollout of a Bus Rapid Transit system aimed at improving mobility in the capital.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, KCCA has intensified efforts to modernize the city through infrastructure development, improved sanitation, restoration of public spaces and strengthened urban planning enforcement.

Speaking during the ceremony, Kidasa called on the newly sworn-in leaders to serve Kampala residents with integrity and commitment.

“As we usher in new leaders entrusted with serving the people of Kampala, I urge you to discharge your duties with integrity, safeguard public resources and work toward the development of the capital city,” she said.

Wednesday’s ceremony therefore not only marked a political transition, but also reinforced KCCA’s broader vision of building a cleaner, organized and more sustainable Kampala capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly growing urban population.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali

Communication and Media Relations Officer