KCCA UNDERTAKES CITYWIDE REMOVAL OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has started a citywide operation to remove political posters and campaign materials left behind after the recently concluded elections, citing concerns over safety, orderliness and the city’s image.

The clean-up exercise, which began in the Central Business District (CBD), targets posters plastered on trees, streetlight poles, buildings and other public infrastructure, many of them installed without authorization.

Speaking to NBS Television, at City Hall, on Tuesday, KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the authority was forced to intervene after candidates and political actors failed to take responsibility for removing their campaign materials.

“We embarked on the process of retrieving them because those who put them up have no motivation to remove them. The winners often want to show that they went through, while those who lost are still carrying heavy hearts and are not ready to take down the materials,” Kigenyi said

Kigenyi described Kampala not only as Uganda’s capital city but also as the country’s “living room,” noting that the clutter left behind gives the city an untidy and chaotic appearance.

“KCCA is not just the capital city of Uganda, it is the living room of Uganda. What people see here reflects on the whole country,” he said.

According to KCCA, guidelines were issued ahead of the election period to regulate where and how campaign materials could be displayed, with the aim of maintaining order in the city.

“At the beginning, we anticipated a lot of political messages and we issued guidelines to ensure there was orderliness,” Kigenyi explained. “But as the campaigns intensified, the materials were put up sporadically.”

He added that posters placed in dangerous locations, such as on road signs and street poles, were removed first due to public safety concerns.

KCCA further noted that many candidates did not seek permission before erecting posters, in violation of the guidelines.

The authority plans to extend the clean-up exercise beyond the CBD to other parts of the city and expects the operation to be completed by the end of February.

“We started with the central business district and we shall move to other areas. By the end of February, we want to see this job done,” Kigenyi said.

KCCA has reiterated that adherence to campaign advertising guidelines is mandatory and warned that future violations may attract penalties.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali

Communication and Media Relations Officer