By KT Reporter
Uganda Police have emerged victorious in a two-year-long dispute with the Mbale District Local Government over the ownership of Malukhu land, located near the Inzu Yamasaba head offices.
The conflict began last year when Tony Wamakale, who was the Mbale District LC V chairperson at the time, confronted police officers who had come to survey the land. Wamakale accused Uganda Police of attempting to take the district land by force because they held the relevant documents.
He also stated that in the late 1990s, Mbale District had allocated the land to Uganda Police to build quarters for improving security in the area. However, when police vacated the area, they occupied part of the buildings belonging to Malukhu Health Center III, which they continued to operate from.
Wamakale called for Uganda Police to compensate the Mbale District Local Government to allow it to reoccupy the land. The disagreement persisted until Thursday, when Uganda Police officially moved its offices from the Industrial City Division Central Police Station to the disputed land, as their structures were still standing there.
Speaking to our reporter, John Bosco Otim, Elgon Regional Police Commander, explained that Mbale District eventually acknowledged that the land rightfully belongs to the Uganda Police Force. “They wanted to vacate the buildings of Malukhu Health Center III and occupy their land,” he said.
Muhammad Mafabi, the LCV Chairperson of Mbale District, emphasized that both the district and Uganda Police are government entities, and they did not want prolonged conflict. He stated that both sides sat down and agreed that Uganda Police would retain the land to provide security to the people of Industrial City Division.
This resolution brings an end to the dispute, allowing Uganda Police to maintain their presence on the land while continuing to provide security to the community-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com