Munyagwa under fire to resign, admits meeting Kitaka

By Francis Otucu

The chairperson, Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) Mubarak Munyagwa has in a media address Tuesday said he is not so “stupid” to solicit a bribe in public places like restaurants.

Munyagwa, also Kawempe South MP was responding to photos that went viral Monday showing him in a secret meet with KCCA acting Executive Director, Eng. Andrew Kitaka at a restaurant in Kampala.

“I bumped into Kitaka at Silver City Restaurant, Garden City 9 days ago while going to the gym at about 2 pm. It was not a secret meeting as portrayed by media because we were at the balcony,” Munyagwa told the media.

He added: “You can even go to that restaurant and retrieve CCTV footage. I was reminding Kitaka to work on the drainage system in Kawempe. I have always told him to fix it, but he has been dillydallying. KCCA used Shs21m to construct it but each time it rains it still floods and now, I am aware that World Bank released money for its construction. So I was asking him when KCCA would commence works.”

Munyagwa said despite his appetite for money,  he can solicit for bribe, more so from a KCCA official.

“I love money as a human being but I don’t trust anyone from KCCA. I can’t go to a restaurant and start soliciting a bribe moreover in a place with CCTV cameras. I would have ‘worked’ with Musisi [Jenniffer] because she used to steal a lot of money, but I did not, so how can you claim that Kitaka can bribe me? What does he have?” he said.

Munyagwa said that his meeting with Kitaka was premised on the poor drainage system in Kawempe and had nothing to do with soliciting a bribe or whatsoever contrary to his portrayal to be soliciting a bribe from Eng Kitaka to influence the committee’s decision to sack Moses Atwine as KCCA director in charge of Physical Planning.

He therefore vowed to resign should anyone come up with evidence against him to be soliciting for bribe from KItaka.

Munywagwa’s meeting with Kitaka raised suspicions considering that it was coming at a time when COSASE was investigating the alleged unlawful recruitment of Atwine, the KCCA Physical Planning Director.