At least 2,500 Smart City Ambassadors drawn from communities across Kampala on Saturday met with officials from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in a renewed push to strengthen service delivery through grassroots participation.
The ambassadors, who come from all 857 villages in the city, act as volunteer links between residents and city management, reporting issues such as uncollected garbage, blocked drainage channels, and public safety concerns before they escalate.
Addressing the gathering at Kitante Primary School, KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki said the ambassadors are central to the authority’s work, noting that effective city management is impossible without community involvement.
“Kampala has 857 villages. Even if I worked every day for a whole year, I could not reach all of them. If I do not work with you, I would be deceiving myself that KCCA would work better,” Buzeki said.
She described city improvement as a shared responsibility and encouraged ambassadors to stay actively engaged in KCCA programs within their neighborhoods.
Buzeki said KCCA will continue to equip ambassadors with information on ongoing projects, service standards, and policies so they can guide residents, resolve concerns, and promote responsible urban behavior.
“You are our eyes and ears in the community,” she said.
During the engagement, ambassadors were briefed on KCCA’s Service Delivery Standards, Client Charter, and the Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025/26–2029/30), aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring residents understand their rights and obligations.
Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Minsa Kabanda praised the initiative, saying community leadership is key to sustaining improvements in roads, drainage, and sanitation.
“You must ensure that whatever has not been done is brought to the fore, and whatever we have done and are planning to do will be shared with you,” Kabanda said.
Senior Presidential Private Secretary Miriam Namayanja pointed to visible improvements in cleanliness and order across the city, crediting both KCCA and community volunteers.
Through the Smart City Ambassador program, KCCA says it is deepening citizen participation in city governance, positioning residents as partners in maintaining cleanliness, infrastructure, and public service delivery across Kampala.