Angry residents pull down fence at Masaka Children’s Park
Masaka Children's Park after angry dwellers removed the ironsheet fence the developer had erected around the park on September 4. PHOTO/ANTONIO KALYANGO
What you need to know:
- The disputed piece of land is on Plot 64-74, Elgin Street adjacent to Masaka Secondary School main gate.
- There is a leasehold title of 99 years acquired by the city on January 1, 1959.
Chaos and confusion broke out at Masaka Children’s Park on September 4 as police attempted to block angry residents from pulling down a fence around the park .
The angry residents on orders of Leader of Opposition in Parliament and also Nyendo-Mukungwe Constituency legislator Mr Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba descended on the park around 3:00 pm and started removing the iron sheets saying it was illegally erected by the private developer, Ms Sylvia Nagujja Lutta.
Ms Nagujja claims ownership of the two acre public open space.
The disputed piece of land is on Plot 64-74, Elgin Street adjacent to Masaka Secondary School main gate.
By the time police arrived at the scene, residents had removed part of the fence and taken away the iron sheets. Police fired tear gas and live bullets in the air to disperse the rowdy crowd.
Police arrested two suspects and four motorcycles were impounded during the fracas.
Mr Twaha Kasirye, the Southern Regional Police spokesperson condemned the act of inciting violence masterminded by Mr Mpuuga.
“Ownership of that piece of land is not yet clear. So any action on that land should follow the legal procedures. It was to our surprise that a senior lawmaker and Leader of Opposition was behind that [destruction of the fence],” Mr Kasirye said.
He added that Mr Mpuuga is going to be summoned to record a statement at Masaka Central Police Station.
“We’re still gathering evidence on what transpired which will form the basis of the charges we will prefer against Mr Mpuuga,” he said.
Mr Joseph Ssenzoga, the chairperson of Soweto Cell hailed the efforts by residents in Masaka City to recover public land.
“It’s now evident that that land belongs to Masaka City because the title is available. I commend our legislators and people of Masaka for not keeping silent,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
Mr Mpuuga said his team will not relent in their quest to recover all public properties which have been fraudulently disposed off in Masaka City.
Masaka City Mayor,, Ms Florence Namayanja had recently indicated that the disputed children’s park land is owned by Ms Lutta, a family member of the late Kampala-based businessman Francis Kakumba who obtained a freehold title on August 17, 2011 during the tenure of former mayor Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo.
However, there is also another leasehold title of 99 years acquired by the city on January 1, 1959.
Ms Namayanja said she will back Ms Lutta to take the park since she is also "going to put development on the land."
