The Kiko Police Post in Kiko Town Council Kabarole District is facing a possible eviction over unpaid rent arrears of more than 15 million shillings. Naimu Nakasi the landlord of the premises housing the police post says Kiko Town Council authorities approached her and her husband in 2011 seeking to rent four rooms in the building for use by police.
According to Nakasi, the two parties agreed on a monthly rent of 230,000 shillings for the four rooms. She says the council however stopped paying rent five years ago without giving them a clear explanation.
Nakasi says that she is now owed rent arrears amounting to 15,640,000 shillings. Nakasi says that since 2022, Kiko Town Council officials have been telling them that they no longer have money to pay the rent and that the police should take over the payments.
She says when they approached the police, they were told that the Town Council must first clear the accumulated arrears because it was the institution that initially entered into the tenancy agreement. Nakasi says they have since contacted Kiko Town Council authorities and the office of the District Police Commander seeking a solution in vain yet the debt has continues to accumulate. She has consequently asked the police to either pay the outstanding rent or vacate the premises.
The landlord says the situation has left her and her husband stranded as the building is their main source of income and the unpaid rent has affected their ability to meet school fees, food and other basic needs.
Steven Ahaisibwe the Kiko Town Council District Councilor says he has raised the matter before the district council and is pushing for district authorities to find a lasting solution.
Ahaisibwe says the police post is important to the community because it provides security to residents and their property, warning that its eviction could affect security in the area.
He has also appealed to police authorities to intervene, explaining that the landlord has been patient despite going for years without receiving payment.
Bright Jabao the Mayor of Kiko Town Council said the council stopped paying the rent after realizing that it was not legally responsible for renting premises for the police.
Jabao said the responsibility to provide and pay for police accommodation lies with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vincent Twesige, the Rwenzori West Police spokesperson confirmed that police are aware of the dispute.
Twesige said Kiko Town Council had previously been paying the rent but withdrew from the arrangement this year.
He said the landlady subsequently wrote to the Regional Police Commander and police are now in the process of taking over responsibility for the rent.
Twesige assured residents that the police post will remain operational and that security in Kiko will not be compromised. Steven Birungi Isoke, a resident of Kiko, says the police post has played an important role in addressing insecurity in the area.
Isoke says residents face cases of animal theft, domestic violence and other forms of insecurity, adding that the police post has helped them respond to such incidents. He fears that evicting the police could create a security gap that criminals might exploit to terrorize residents-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
