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Leaders, CAO clash over construction of market
The site that is under contention. Leaders are yet to decide on how to utilise the land. PHOTO / MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- The trouble stems from a resolution passed by the sub-county council last week to use a 2.6-acre piece of land in Lwebitakuli Trading Centre to put up a sub-county market.
Local leaders in Lwebitakuli Sub-county, Sembabule District, and the district chief administrative office (CAO) have clashed over the construction of a market.
The trouble stems from a resolution passed by the sub-county council last week to use a 2.6-acre piece of land in Lwebitakuli Trading Centre to put up a sub-county market.
Mr Steven Akabwayi, the chairperson of Lwebitakuli Sub-county, said the market project was endorsed by the council last month.
“The same council sitting also resolved that the sub-county gets a grader from the district to help us clear the place where a market is going to be constructed and where the playground is going to be relocated,” he said at the weekend.
He said they got the district road unit equipment, which has been on site and they had started work, but they were surprised to receive a communication from the CAO, Mr Malik Mahaba, halting the construction works.
However, Mr Mahaba said they were considering using the same piece of land to set up a health facility.
“We are pushing for a district hospital and we have been lacking land. So, that is the same land we are going to use for that project,” he said.
Mr Eddie Ssebutinde, the Lwebitakuli Sub-county speaker, said if the district authorities want to construct a health facility, they should use the land that is currently hosting the sub-county health centre because the space is big enough for expansion of the facility.
Hospital issue
Local leaders and area legislators are pushing to have Sembabule Health Centre IV elevated to a hospital. However, lack of land has been cited as one of the factors delaying the project. The health facility started way back in the 1990s as a health centre III before Sembabule was carved out of Masaka District.
