Does Kampala need an engineer or lawyer? Here’s my perspective as a contractor

As a contractor and proprietor of Ubantu Services Ltd, I have spent years working in the trenches of civil works, right from building roads and bridges to erecting solar plants and high-rise structures.

My work gives me a front-row seat to what it takes for a city to truly develop. The question before us now is whether Kampala should continue under the stewardship of Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a seasoned lawyer, or hand the baton to Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo, an experienced engineer.

Both candidates bring valuable skillsets to the table, but from where I stand — in the world of contracts, the choice demands careful consideration.

WHY A LAWYER MATTERS FOR A CITY

A city is not just made of roads, bridges and buildings; it is also made of contracts, policies and laws. Every large project, from waste management systems to multi-billion- shilling road works, depends on airtight contracts that protect the city from loss, fraud, or poor workmanship.

Here, a lawyer like Lukwago brings clear strengths. He understands negotiation, arbitration and litigation. When disputes arise, whether with contractors, central government, or international investors, legal wisdom is invaluable.

We have seen cities such as Nairobi under Lawyer George Aladwa benefit from a mayor’s ability to navigate legal complexities, ensuring projects were not derailed by court battles. Lukwago has consistently shown resilience in protecting the city’s constitutional standing and fighting for the rights of the ordinary taxpayer.

His legal background equips him to guard the city’s contracts and institutions from abuse, like in the case of Nakivubo drainage channel with businessman Hamis Kiggundu. But, policy delivery is another story.

To this day, the market policy remains a glaring failure. Traders from Nakasero market continue to seek justice without success, leaving livelihoods hanging in uncertainty where hundreds have been evicted in spite of paying billions to KCCA. A lawyer’s presence has not guaranteed common man’s safety in such regards.

WHY AN ENGINEER MATTERS FOR A CITY

Yet, while laws hold the city together, it is civil engineering that builds it up. A city is not just administered; it is physically constructed. Roads, drainage systems, power supply and urban housing are technical undertakings that require practical understanding.

An engineer like Balimwezo comes with a hands-on appreciation of project design, feasibility studies, cost estimations and quality control. Cities across the globe have been transformed by engineers-turned-leaders.

For example, Seyi Makinde, now governor of Oyo state in Nigeria, invested heavily in road networks and infrastructure because he understood the technical bottlenecks. Closer to home, Kampala’s own urban improvements under technocrats such as Andrew Kitaka [an engineer who briefly served as Acting KCCA executive director] showed us how quickly technical knowledge can translate into visible results.

Where lawyers may argue about contracts, engineers know when the asphalt mix is wrong, when the foundation depth is insufficient and when money is being wasted in the name of “variations.”

So, the track record of Balimwezo shines in the Namugongo project, not simply because of personal brilliance but because he worked within a functional system under the religious umbrella. With the right structures, he demonstrated how engineering knowledge translates into impactful delivery with in no time.

STRIKING THE BALANCE

The truth is, a great city needs both legal acumen and technical expertise. A lawyer-mayor can protect the city from signing away its future through bad contracts. An engineer-mayor can ensure those contracts produce lasting, quality infrastructure.

History shows us that sometimes it is not even academic qualifications that define great leadership but the system of governance. So, we have seen local council leaders with little formal education still transform their communities because the structures supported service delivery.

MY CLOSING THOUGHTS AS A CONTRACTOR

As someone who deals daily with contracts and construction, I can tell you that our next lord mayor must combine the wisdom of law with the practicality of engineering. If you want a guardian of contracts, rights and legal protections, then a lawyer like Lukwago gives you strength.

If you want a hands-on driver of infrastructure, technical oversight and urban modernization, then an engineer like Balimwezo gives you strength. But in the end, leadership is not about titles or degrees.

It is about a system that allows delivery and a leader who respects both the technical and the legal dimensions of running a city. My encouragement is simple; Kampalans should vote with a vision for the city they want to see, legally safeguarded, technically sound and practically livable.

The author is a contractor and CEO of Ubantu Services Ltd.