The Ministry of Local government advised the district leadership to relocate the administration offices of the district, to another area outside the city boundaries following the creation of Masaka city in July last year. But the leadership in the sub-counties of Buwunga, Bukakata, Kyesiiga, and Kyannamukaaka, which make up the district are embroiled in a dispute over where the district headquarters should be placed.
A dispute has emerged between leaders of the four sub-counties in Masaka district over a suitable site for the proposed new
district headquarters.
The
Ministry of Local government advised the district leadership to relocate the administration offices of the district, to another area outside
the city boundaries following the creation of Masaka city in July last year. But the leadership in the sub-counties of
Buwunga, Bukakata, Kyesiiga, and Kyannamukaaka, which make up the district are
embroiled in a dispute over where the district
headquarters should be placed.
Amid the contradictions, each of the sub-counties
convened council meetings and passed conflicting resolutions about the suitable location. Last week, the former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka
Ssekandi offered a 5-acre piece of land located in the Kyannamukaaka sub-county,
but the proposal is facing strong resistance from the other leaders in the other sub-counties, arguing that the site is far away from the rest of the district.
Aloysius Jjuuko, the Bukakata sub-county chairperson says
they prefer the district headquarters to be situated in Buwunga sub-county,
a location he says in the middle of the district and easily accessible to the
people from all corners of the district. He adds that the headquarters should be in a location that has connectivity to utility services, and a proper road network.
Jjuuko says that they have also passed a council resolution
against the proposal of Kyannamukaaka, whose extract was forwarded to the district council for consideration.
//Cue in; (Luganda) “yo
district yaffe…
Cue out….bajje awo.”//
Buwunga sub-county council speaker Martin Ssenkeezi argues that they have also secured land
from a good samaritan in the area for construction of the district headquarters. He says that, unlike the former Vice President, they have already
secured the title for the land offered to them in Buwunga sub-county, which makes
them the most appropriate for the headquarters.
//Cue in; “ffe banna
Buwunga…
Cue out….Masaka
district.”//
However, the leadership of Kyannamukaaka and Kyesiiga sub
counties have jointly agreed to petition the Minister of Local Government appealing to him to defuse the controversy which they say is premised on selfish
interests. Gordan Mayanja, the Kyesiiga sub-county chairperson alleges
that there could be speculators in the district who are manipulating the other sub-county and district councillors to reject the land in Kyannamukaka such that
they can profiteer from the purchase of an alternative site in Buwunga.
//Cue in; “amagombolola
abiri…
Cue out…enkizo
nenne.”//
The controversy notwithstanding, Andrew Lukyamuzi Batemyeto, the Masaka District Chairperson says that their technical teams are still considering all the proposed
sites of the new headquarters, asking the leaders to patiently wait for the
report which will eventually guide on the final decision.
