Rogers Bulegeya, the Masaka City Male Youth representative seconded the motion, indicating that they have registered numerous public complaints about the conduct of officials of the buildings review committee, who are accused of corruption.
Mousa Wamala, an elders representative of the Masaka City Development Forum; a platform of stakeholders who act as a linkage between the leadership and the local community, says that despite its current population of close to 350,000 people, Masaka city is geographically demarcated into only 25 parishes, that will translate into low financial allocations.
Martin Ssali, a councillor representing Kasanje ward to Nyendo-Mukugwe City division says many of his constituents are already regretting some of the unforeseen demands by the new city administration, arguing that these are presenting unprecedented cost implications to residents.
Godfrey Bemanyisa, the Masaka City Clerk, says that the current arrangement is inconveniencing them hence the need to put all administration offices under one building to ease coordination of services and staff.
The Masaka City Roads Committee has unanimously resolved to formally petition the Inspector General of Government-IGG to investigate the two officials for alleged abuse of offices and corruption.
The committee chaired by the Kimanya-Kabonera Division Member of Parliament Abed Bwanika learnt that the city has under unclear circumstances lost a lot of its properties that including land in green spaces and road reserves.
The new local urban council is challenged with a lack of enough office space for both the political leadership and technical departments. The city is currently operating from the premises previously occupied by the former Masaka Municipal Council, some of which are appalling after spending years without repairs.
Janet Nassolo, a resident of Kibisi parish told Uganda Radio Network that many people took this year’s election as a fashion and failed to evaluate the candidates for the various leadership positions.
The leaders of the two sub-counties have already passed council resolutions supporting the relocation of Masaka district headquarters to Kyanamukaka sub-county headquarters.
Godfrey Kayemba, the interim City Mayor says that the government committed to allocate 100 billion shillings to each of the new cities as their start-up capital, which has not been the case hence causing a standstill in executing of plans.
The lost assets include among others; the Mayor’s Gardens, the Children’s Park, Masaka Bus Park, Masaka Public Library and Women’s Resource Center, Kkumbu forest reserve, Transit Parking yard at Kyabakuza, Old Kkumbu estates, Masaka golf course, Bwala public play grounds, Masaka Recreation grounds, the Municipality town yard and several green belt spaces and plots within the central business area.
John Bahengana, the acting head of technical services in the new city says they have agreed to get rid of taxis operating from non-gazetted parks and on-street stages for purposes of restoring order in the city.
