Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi has been appointed to replace the Masaka City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) who was recently suspended for his alleged involvement in okaying the enforcement of a controversial court order to evict two families in the city suburb. 

Kateregga, a former journalist and editor with Bukedde newspaper, was on Monday, February 27, 2023, assigned additional duties as City Commissioner, Masaka City.  

He was appointed by Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Secretary in the Office of the President

He took over from Ronald Katende Kinene, the Masaka City RCC who is on suspension. 

Kateregga, who is also the deputy RCC Kimaanya-Kabonera division was also given duties of manning the office of the deputy RCC for Nyendo-Mukungwe division after the post holder, Naava Nakibuule went on maternity leave. 

The appointment takes effect from March 01, 2023.

 A letter dated February 27, 2023, addressed to Kateregga, stated, “In the interest of service, it has been decided that you be assigned duties of a Resident City Commissioner, Masaka City until a substantive office holder is posted to the station or otherwise deemed fit by the authority,” the letter stated in part. 

It added, “You will also be in charge of the two divisions of Masaka city until the deputy Resident City Commissioner, Nyendo-Mukungwe comes back from maternity leave”. 

The letters were copied to the minister for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda and Nakibuule. 

The suspension of Katende, a former Speaker for Njeru Town Council in Buikwe district was confirmed by Babalanda during an interview with the media. 

The RCC’s suspension was confirmed by the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja who visited the affected families in Kasijjagirwa Cell near the Kasijjagirwa Armored Brigade in Masaka city and later addressed a meeting that was attended by the lands minister, Judith Nabakooba and Kabuye Kyofatogabye, the state minister for Kampala affairs. 

The prime minister visited the affected old woman, Aisha Nakanwagi and Luke Lukoma whose property, including houses and crops, were erased by court bailiffs on January 27, 2023. 

Nakanwagi told the Prime Minister and the ministers that she had stayed on the land for decades.

 It is alleged that the RCC okayed the eviction order on a 6.5-acre piece of land, and he was instead faulted for failure to protect the families whose homes were, and banana and coffee plantations were demolished. 

This followed a court ruling on January 25, 2023, by a Grade One in Masaka court, Christine Nantege in favor of two tycoons, Deus Kakeeto and Francis Mbuga who had been claiming rightful ownership of the disputed land since 2019, leaving the occupants in tears.    

The victims later petitioned several high offices including that of the Prime Minister and were recorded on television begging for urgent intervention. 

They said they had reached out to the RCC for assistance, but he could not help them from the wrath of the court bailiffs. 

Katende, however, said this was an old case that had been on long before he was posted in the area. 

He handed over the office to Kateregga on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.