Deputy Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) executive director Eng. David Luyimbazi has dismissed reports by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago that the Government has earmarked over $100m (about sh373b) to buy 10 acres of land in Kisenyi to resettle street vendors.

About 6,000 vendors, who were recently evicted from the city’s streets by KCCA, are currently operating on this land free of charge that belongs to businessman Bosco Muwonge.

“I have not seen any paper directing KCCA to pay Muwonge $100m. I saw that (the figure of $100m) in the press, but the President’s directive said we should engage Muwonge to see how the Government can secure that land. It did not talk about any amount of money,” he said.

Luyimbazi added that they must go through a process if they are to buy that land. 

“The chief government valuer must assess that land and determine its value based on the market pricing around that area. So, it is a professional process. We can’t just buy land without looking at the market pricing around that area, which will determine the amount we shall pay in case we are to buy,” he said.

He made the remarks while appearing on the weekly Urban TV morning talk show, Press Wall, to make sense of the major events of the week on Saturday.

Others who featured on the two-hour show that airs every Saturday morning were Nakawa East MP Ronald Balimwezo and former Kawempe North legislator Hajji Latif Sebaggala.

“We are trying to find a workplace for street vendors after removing them from the streets. If the Lord Mayor or anyone else has land that is cheap, please, bring it. Do not sit there and complain as the Government is trying to organise the city because no one has stopped anyone from bringing to us cheaper or free land,” Luyimbazi said.

Good Samaritan

Luyimbazi called Muwonge a Good Samaritan for offering his land to street vendors free of charge. 

“Muwonge was kind enough during the festive season to give two months for people to trade there for free. We have about 6,000 vendors who are off the street trading on Muwonge’s land,” he said.

Background

On January 9, 2023, Lukwago said in an interview with a local TV station that ‘cartels’ had exorbitantly purchased land from Muwonge at sh370b, an amount he claimed was equivalent to the entire KCCA budget.

“This is ridiculous and people do not want to debate this. They want to sweep it under the carpet,” he said.

The land in question, Lukwago said, was being bought by the Government to resettle street vendors, who were removed from the city streets.

“They are deceiving that each acre is going to cost $10m (sh37b) when they are the very people who sold off St Balikuddembe Market [aka Owino] at only sh4b. To date, nobody is discussing it,” he said.

Lukwago also alleged that the land in question was encumbered by many controversies over ownership.

What others said

During the Press Wall show, Sebaggala said it's time KCCA revealed the amount of money they intend to use in buying that land to clear the air.

“What is out there in the public is that the Government is in high gear to buy Muwonge’s land at over $100m which is quite high. Kisenyi is not Kololo where you can buy an acre of the land at this amount,” he said.  

“Yes, we want to thank the Good Samaritan (Muwonge) who gave us these two months... He (Luyimbazi) is asking us to bring (cheap) land if we have it, but he is well aware that getting 10 acres of lumpsum is hard right now. So, I want them to be clear because we are saying we can buy Muwonge’s land which we have already identified but at how much?” Sebaggala, who is also a businessman, said.

Balimwezo also said the alleged price for Muwonge’s land was exorbitant.

“KCCA is managing Kampala on behalf of the central government and had Nakawa-Naguru land measuring 82.05 acres but it has sold it off at less than sh5b and now it is going to purchase 10 acres in Kisenyi at over $100m. That is too much,” he said.