By KT Reporter
The Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi has issued express instructions to Masaka district leaders to surrender their headquarters to the city administration.
Magyezi has directed the district to vacate the premises and transfer the land title to Masaka City Council for its headquarters.
Since 2021, the leadership of both local governments have been embroiled in sharp controversy, which arose from the circular of the Attorney General, instructing the leaders of the mother districts that had their headquarters swallowed within the boundaries of the newly created cities, to find alternative sites where they can construct their new administration offices.
Despite the Attorney General’s guidance, the Masaka district council unanimously resolved to hold tight on the property, arguing that their takeover without prior compensation amounts to undue suppression to the district that toiled to acquire its assets.
The council also passed a resolution to sell off the property located at Kitabiro cell, in the centre of Masaka city, and use the money to construct the district headquarters at a new location.
In 2022, the controversy escalated, when a section of leaders led by Andrew Lukyamuzi Batemyetto the LCV Chairperson mobilized a mob that blocked the City Physical Planer from surveying the land before they confiscated the equipment.
Magyezi has formally written to both local governments, resolving the dispute, which was stalling their progress. He indicates that the cabinet has considered a proposal to allocate funds to support the affected districts to construct new headquarters in alternative locations outside the geographical boundaries of the newly created cities.
Florence Namayanja, the Masaka City Mayor says the Minister’s instruction is a relief to her leadership, which has been longing to secure a befitting administrative headquarters. She says that the controversy had also advanced into open public altercations between the leaders of both local governments, which was casting them in public disrepute.
Namayanja indicates that following the issuance of the instruction, the City is promptly going to start on arrangements for redesigning the area and accordingly start works for the construction of stored city headquarters.
Francis Kimuli, the Speaker for Masaka district council indicates that instruction has come after they had also backtracked on their earlier position; and agreed to surrender the property to the city.
He says that amid the heated controversy and standoff, they reached out to various offices including the office of the President, who assured them of the government’s commitment to support the district in building their new headquarters.
Kimuli has however urged the Minister to speed up the process of securing the required funds, such that the district can also start the construction works on a site they already secured in Buwunga sub-county-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
