Africa-Press – Uganda. The Minister for Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, has deferred the final decision on the appropriate site for Masaka District headquarters, saying he needs to make time for more consultations.
Last week, Mr Magyezi inspected the two proposed sites for Masaka District headquarters; one at Nkuke Village in Buwunga Sub-county and another at Kyambazi Village, Kyanamukkaka Sub-county.
The five-acre piece of land at Nkuke Village was donated by Mr George Mukasa, while another 10 acres at Kyambazi Village were offered by former Vice President Edward Ssekandi.
While inspecting the site at Nkuke Village, Mr Magyezi, who was in the company of the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Benjamin Kumumanya, was perplexed when he received complaints from Mr Mukasa’s relatives who claim ownership of the same land.
The relatives included Mr Garezio Jombwe, Ms Margaret Najjuuko, and Mr Willy Kyeswa. The trio claimed they inherited the piece of land from their late grandmother, Ms Natalia Tusabomu, who died in the 1990s.
Ms Najjuuko told the minister that one of the relatives, Ms Francesca Namuswe, connived with Mr Mukasa and changed ownership of the five acres of land without their knowledge.
‘’We are all family members and each one of us got a share of that land but Mr George Mukasa and his family connived with the heir of our grandmother and forged a land title which they offered to Masaka District,’’ Ms Najjuuka said.
Mr Jombwe instead asked Mr Magyezi to assist them to get back their piece of land.
However, Mr Magyezi said his ministry and other authorities are going to investigate more about the ownership of the piece of land at Nkuke site and accessibility to the two sites.
‘’I have visited the two sites and talked to all leaders and those who offered land for the construction of the district headquarters. A final decision will soon be taken on where the headquarters should be constructed,” he said.
However, the Masaka District Speaker, Mr Francis Kimuli, told Mr Magyezi that the district has already resolved where to put the headquarters, and the decision can only be reversed by another council resolution, not him.
“The landlord for the Nkuke site offered the district with a land title but Mr Ssekandi never gave the title to us,’’ he said.
But Mr Ssekandi told the minister that he offered free land (10acres) to the district without any strings attached.
‘’I offered my piece of land for the good of my district and to enable my people in the village to access services nearer to them than going to Masaka City. I wonder why some district leaders are trying to frustrate this project,” Mr Ssekandi said.
In a February 20 letter to the Masaka District, the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, said the government had allocated Shs1 billion to facilitate the construction of the district headquarters.
Masaka is one of the traditional districts with four sub-counties of Bukakkata, Kyanamukkaka, Buwunga and Kyesiga.
Proponents of erecting the district headquarters at Nkuke Village say the site was chosen because it is geographically located in the centre of the district and easily accessible by all residents including those from far sub-counties like Bukakkata.
Following the elevation of Masaka Town to city status on July 1, 2020, the district headquarters within the city centre had to be shifted to a new location outside the city, according to a local government policy.
However, some local leaders have been pushing to have the district headquarters remain in the city, which councillors and other district leaders have opposed saying it is against the decentralisation policy.
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