Mengo tells govt to leave all Buganda properties

Wakiso. Mengo administration has asked government agencies to immediately vacate all Buganda Kingdom properties.
Speaking in Namayumba in Wakiso District yesterday, the Buganda Katikkiro (prime minister), Mr Peter Mayiga, said local governments have not only occupied the kingdom’s premises illegally but are also adamant to pay rent.
“We have many sub-counties around Buganda occupied by the central government and they are not paying busuulu (rental fees). They are seated there. Government agencies, we are telling you, if we regained Bulange when the government relocated the army, what about a district?” Mr Mayiga said.
He said that the illegal occupancy has stopped kingdom officials from delivering services to the people.
Mr Mayiga also lauded the loyalty of Wakiso administration citing the district chairperson, Mr Matiya Lwanga Bwanika, who was present at the event.
“I think because of Bwanika’s loyalty, the electorate continue to vote him. Wakiso engages with us every time,” the premier said.

Memorandum
In August 2013, Kabaka Mutebi and President Museveni, met at State House Entebbe and signed a pact agreeing that all kingdom properties be returned to Mengo plus payment of at least Shs6b in accumulated rent arrears.
On May 5 in a meeting with Kabaka Mutebi at his Banda palace, President Museveni also directed government to pay about Shs70b to Buganda Kingdom before 2021.
The President directed that Shs47b be scheduled for payment as compensation for occupation of Muteesa House in UK. The money would be paid in two equal instalments in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 financial years.
Mr Mayiga visited different kingdom installations in Busiro County ahead of today’s 56th anniversary of Buganda’s mock independence at Ssentema, the seat of Busiro County.
In his speech, Kabaka Mutebi said preserving the kingdom installations is key to Buganda’s continuity.
“We are striving to scale up bulungi bwansi (community service), it is what laid that foundation to our kingdom and I am enthused to see children here learn the importance of bulungi bwansi. It is a unifying tool on which the growth of kingdom was is leaned,” the Kabaka said.