Africa-Press – Uganda. T he wrangles over Kayunga Taxi Park in Kayunga District that have persisted for more than seven years, are far from over.Local leaders say the wrangles have escalated, creating insecurity in the area.
Mr Elijah Madoi, the Kayunga Resident District Commissioner, says if not well handled, the wrangles could result into bloodshed.
The wrangles stem from the sale of a disputed plot of land in the taxi park, which is located at the exit gate area of the park.
If the plot is developed, the exit for vehicles would be blocked.
The plot of land in question was in 2017 sold by members of Ssezibwa Taxi Hire Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (SETTCS) led by Mr Semu Kagimu, the then chairperson of the association, to Mr James Kirabira, a businessman in Kayunga Town, at a cost of Shs40m.
However, a rival group of SETTCS members headed by Mr Mohammed Kawooya, the current chairperson, contested the sale of the plot, saying it was illegal since it didn’t not follow the prescribed procedures of the association.
He also contested its location at the exit gate of the park, which will lead to a blockage of the exit terminal for taxis when the plot is developed.
After acquiring a land title for the said land, Mr Kirabira sought approval of the building plan on it, which was denied by the town council authorities, on grounds that the land was located in an area which was gazetted as a taxi park.
“According to the town council’s physical plan, that plot is located in an area that was gazetted as a taxi park and it is at the very exit of the taxi park, which makes it hard for us to approve the building plan for Mr Kirabira,” Mr Magid Nyanzi, the Kayunga Town Mayor, told Daily Monitor yesterday.
Consequently, Mr Kirabira dragged Kayunga Town Council and some members of Bugerere Taxi Park Operators Cooperative Society (BTPOCS) to courts, accusing the latter, who now manage the taxi park, of stealing his raw materials (stones and sand) he had put on the disputed land.
Mr Kagimu later petitioned the State Minister for Cooperatives, Mr Fredrick Ngobi, and the State House, accusing the rival group of forcing him out of office, but their intervention didn’t solve the wrangles.
Mr Madoi noted that some sections of the warring parties had accused their rivals of engaging in subversive activities.
“Four people were arrested by military police recently after being framed by the rival camp that they are engaged in subversive activities. The four were arrested without my knowledge and we are trying to see how they can be released,” Mr Madoi said.
The quartet that was arrested includes Mr Kawooya, Ms Sauda Nakyagaba, an office messenger at SETTCS office, Mr Ronald Ssentongo, a medical worker, whose clinic is located near SETTCS office, and Ms Hadijah Kobusingye, a wife of Sadik Buyinza (RIP), who was the overseer of SETTCS activities.
During a recent security meeting convened by Mr Madoi and attended by the regional Criminal Investigations Officer and regional Internal Security Officer, Mr Madoi advised the warring parties to work towards resolving the matter.
Tensions are currently high in Kayanga Town Council with taxi drivers now guarding the taxi park day and night in a bid to block Mr Kirabira from putting building materials at the disputed piece of land.
However, Mr Kirabira accuses some senior security officers in the area of conniving with his rivals to steal his land.“Even if it takes 20 years, I will develop my plot because it is mine,” he said.
BACKGROUNDThe bickering between the two warring taxi operator groups in Kayunga Town has caused animosity, affecting the business community in the area.
Trouble started in 2016 when the town authorities cancelled Ssezibwa Taxi Hire Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (SETTCS)’s tender to manage the park over failure to pay outstanding arrears of Shs9m. The association, which was formed in 1972, had been managing the park for more than 20 years.
The tender was later given to Bugerere Taxi Park Operators Cooperative Society, which was formed in 2017 by drivers in Kayunga Taxi Park.
A section of SETTCS members have on several occasions blamed their woes on the district authorities, who they accuse of “unlawfully and maliciously” cancellling their tender.Since then, the association has asked the town council authorities to relocate the taxi park to another area, claiming the land housing the park is theirs.
