Dispute over Ngetta rock between Lira city and district boils over
May 01, 2024
According to Okello Ayo, the Lira district local government is getting over shillings 120 million from the two companies getting rocks from the hill, which according to him is situated in the city.
Angry residents of Ngetta protesting near the quarry site of the African Conmat Limited on Monday evening. (Photos by Joseph Ekol)
Joseph Ekol
Journalist @New Vision
_____________________ Lira City East Chairman, George Okello Ayo (pink shirt at the centre) adressing the community at Ngetta rock on Monday evening
A dispute over the ownership of a rock considered a key revenue source for authorities in Lira city and Lira district has boiled over.
Angry residents of Lira city East division who are surrounding the Ngetta Hill on Monday, April 29, 2024, blocked all roads leading to the quarry sites at the rock.
Led by the Lira city East chairperson (mayor) George Okello Ayo, the hundreds of residents blocked all access to the rock, preventing any vehicle from accessing the quarry site.
Currently, two companies are quarrying rock at Ngetta Hill and paying local revenue to the Lira district local government despite several letters directing them to begin remitting revenue to the city.
The protesters, some armed with machetes, used heavy logs and rocks to block the access while burning tires to seal off the roads as they turned away every car headed to the rock.
They said they are expressing annoyance against Lira district local government leadership which has allegedly refused to hand over their revenue source (Ngetta rock) to the city council.
“We are supposed to be getting the local revenue and using it to provide services like repairing schools, health centres, and roads for our people but now our resources are being enjoyed by the district, we are not going to allow this impunity to continue,” Okello Ayo said.
According to Okello Ayo, the Lira district local government is getting over shillings 120 million from the two companies getting rocks from the hill, which according to him is situated in the city.
“We are not going to allow any vehicle to access this rock unless they meet all the obligations among many, paying local revenue to Lira City Council, delivering the corporate social responsibilities which they have promised our people,” he said.
Patrick Waca, the councillor of Anyangapuc ward in the city's eastern division, said the companies promised to connect electricity to households surrounding the rock and renovate St Paul and Cura primary schools but nothing has been seen since then.
According to Waca, about two years ago, a quarry killed 15 cows belonging to the community members in the area, the company promised them compensation but this has not been fulfilled.
Sebronica Anyango Ogwal, the female councillor for Cura and Anyangapuc ward, said they wrote several reminders the companies over their promises to provide the community with clean drinking water.
By press time on Tuesday evening, the protesters and councillors were still camped in the same place uninterrupted.
Lira district vice-chairperson Bonny Omara said the title of the land on which the rock is seated is in the name of Lira district Local government and is, therefore, mandated to collect revenue from it.
He said Lira city leaders should wait until the local government ministry pronounces itself on the standoff.
The ministry is expected to provide guidelines for sharing the revenue sources and assets by both entities (district and city).
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