Masaka city residents protest sale of children's park, dispersed

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MASAKA - Police have been deployed at the Masaka City Children's Park to prevent further destructive protests against the alleged city council's decision to sell off the property.

The council reportedly sold it to the family of the late Kampala-based businessman Francis Kakumba of Haks Investments Ltd, Haks bond and several properties downtown Kampala.

City residents, backed by area Members of Parliament Abed Bwanika and Juliet Kakande on Sunday stormed the children's park located near Masaka Secondary School in protest as Police fired tear gas to disperse them.

The residents and leaders accused Masaka city mayor Florence Namayanja of failing to protect the property from being sold. 

However, when contacted, Namayanja declined to comment, saying she was still busy with the ordination ceremonies of the priests under the Masaka Catholic Diocese.

The fracas unfolded when the city dwellers and leaders found the children's park fenced off with iron sheets before they embarked on looting the iron sheets.

Background

In 2017, Masaka city authorities turned the children's park into an open market for the city to pave the way for the construction of a modern central market funded by the government.

However, Kakumba's family took possession of the children's park shortly after the market vendors relocated to the new modern market.

New Vision Online learnt that both Kakumba and Masaka City have land titles for the same property. 

The park has two land titles, one issued in 1961 by Masaka Town Council, and the other issued in 2011 to the family of Kakumba. 

The city authorities had constructed modern latrines on the disputed property. At least 30 land titles for Masaka city properties are still missing.

The city has been grappling with property disputes, especially the land due lack of titles that were destroyed in the 1979 war after the town hall was bombed by the Tanzanian forces. 

The City had set up a committee to locate the records regarding the missing titles. However, some individuals and authorities in Masaka City took advantage of the missing titles for the city properties for their selfish interests. 

Masaka City finance committee chairperson Rogers Bulegeya told New Vision Online that they had failed to trace any records regarding the city ownership.

“We made a search of Masaka City ownership in the lands office at Entebbe [in Wakiso district], but failed to trace anything, it is strange,” he said.

Masaka Resident City Commissioner Hussein Hood said the city security team was going to prevail over the matter to prevent further unrest in the city.

He said that the majority of the properties that sparked controversy had been sold off by the city. Others had been allocated to individuals by the Masaka District Land Board.