Masaka leaders clash over blocked road

Masaka leaders have clashed with technical staff over the latter’s move to permanently close an access road in the city.
Political leaders led by Dr Abed Bwanika, the Kimaanya Member of Parliament, who is also  the chairperson of Masaka City Roads Committee, said Kyewalyanga Road is gazetted but a mysterious developer has since blocked a section of it with a plan to set up structures.

However, the technical team led by the clerk, Mr Geoffrey Bamanyisa, the planner, Mr Martin Kigozi, and the city engineer, Mr Augustus Turibarungi, denied having given away the road, adding that they also learnt of the developments last Friday.

The blocked road is behind the defunct Masaka Taxi Park. 
A mysterious real estate dealer has already started demarcating plots on the section of the road .
Other affected roads include  Muteesa II, Grant Street,  Nalubaale, and Kooki, where some private developers have already started constructing  buildings within gazetted road reserves.

Last Friday, members of Masaka City Roads Committee inspected Kyewalyanga Road and stopped further dumping of murram and encroachment.
“We have engaged the three technical officers and all have failed to explain how private developers secured approved building plans to construct on the road reserves. We have ordered that the officers be investigated for the negligence of duty and abuse of office,” Mr Bwanika said.

Ms Florence  Namayanja, the Masaka City mayor, accused the officials of negligence.
“How can this happen without the knowledge of our technical people who are mandated to authorise development projects in this city? We want all the roads back to their original state in one week ,” she said.
The committee resolved to petition the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to investigate the city technical team over corruption.

Mr Steven Asiimwe, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner, proposed investigations into the matter.
“The city clerk, engineer and city plan ner should first step aside and be investigated, it is impossible that the road reserves were turned into plots without the knowledge of the three technical people,” he said.

Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, who is also the MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe Municipality, said the continuous encroachment on city road reserves is a manifestation of gross abuse of office by the technical team.
“We have established that the city council has lost plenty of its properties through collusion between the technical officers and property brokers. Thorough investigations should be done and culprits held accountable,” he said.

The accused say
However, Mr Kigozi denied participating in the irregularities, insisting that some unscrupulous private developers start developing the contested pieces of land without seeking permission.
“I am ready to aid the investigations to unearth all the irregularities in the management of city properties,” he said.
Mr Bamanyisa said most of the issues concerning city properties are handled by his deputy, Mr Emmanuel Gakyaro.

“I am still new in Masaka and my deputy has better answers on all that,” he said. Efforts to talk to Mr Gakyaro were futile as he did not answer our repeated phone calls at the weekend .
The blockage of access roads comes a week after city authorities led by  Ms Namayanja and  Mr Asiimwe, asked for a comprehensive land audit as one of the ways to address the rampant land wrangles .
Ms Namayanja said she has discovered a lot of irregularities in  land and property acquisition in the  city.

Background
Masaka, being one of the oldest administrative units  in the country, inherited a lot of properties from the colonial government, but unscrupulous politicians and bureaucrats have over the years been selling them off  to private developers .
Some of the disposed of properties include the mayor’s gardens, children’s park,  town clerk’s residence, Old Kumbu Estate ,public cemetery and a host of forest reserves.

In June 2015, the High Court in Masaka issued an injunction suspending the district land board from conducting any land transactions managed by Masaka Municipal Council.
This followed an application filed by some Masaka Municipal Council authorities challenging what they termed as continued irregular sale and allocation of  public land in the area.