Naguru/Nakawa estate tenants sue govt
Dec 23, 2010
TENANTS of the Nakawa-Naguru housing estate have sued the Government for breach of agreement.
By Andante Okanya
TENANTS of the Nakawa-Naguru housing estate have sued the Government for breach of agreement.
The tenants filed a suit on Tuesday at the High Court in Kampala against an eviction notice to leave the estate on January 8, 2011 to pave way for its redevelopment.
The eviction notice dated December 15, 2010 was issued by the local government ministry. The fencing of the estate is set to start on January 9, 2011.
But the aggrieved tenants said the eviction was in “contravention of the memorandum of understanding†signed with the Government between 2007 and January 2008.
They say evicting them “without guaranteeing their interest in the land†will breach the memorandum of understanding.
The tenants say under the agreement, each registered tenant was given “first priority to purchase†a house.
The also say evicting them without resettling them first will breach their right to shelter.
But local government minister Adolf Mwesige said the memorandum does not include provision of alternative accommodation.
“They should trust the Government and leave. We will give them flats after completion as agreed,†Mwesige said.
Alongside the Attorney General, also sued are the Uganda Land Commission and the developer, Opec Prime Properties Limited, a UK-based construction firm.
According to official figures, there are 1,747 tenants. Both estates were condemned in 1994 by the health ministry as unfit for human habitation.
In 2007, the Government contracted Opec to redevelop the estate into two satellite towns, with residential, commercial, and recreational facilities.
The redevelopment had been scheduled to start in February 2008 but was delayed due to the queries.
The tenants insist that Opec won the contract without following the public procurement and disposal of public assets procedures.
Naguru housing estate has 753 housing units on 37 hectares, while Nakawa has 932 units on 29 hectares. They were all built in the 1950s.
TENANTS of the Nakawa-Naguru housing estate have sued the Government for breach of agreement.
The tenants filed a suit on Tuesday at the High Court in Kampala against an eviction notice to leave the estate on January 8, 2011 to pave way for its redevelopment.
The eviction notice dated December 15, 2010 was issued by the local government ministry. The fencing of the estate is set to start on January 9, 2011.
But the aggrieved tenants said the eviction was in “contravention of the memorandum of understanding†signed with the Government between 2007 and January 2008.
They say evicting them “without guaranteeing their interest in the land†will breach the memorandum of understanding.
The tenants say under the agreement, each registered tenant was given “first priority to purchase†a house.
The also say evicting them without resettling them first will breach their right to shelter.
But local government minister Adolf Mwesige said the memorandum does not include provision of alternative accommodation.
“They should trust the Government and leave. We will give them flats after completion as agreed,†Mwesige said.
Alongside the Attorney General, also sued are the Uganda Land Commission and the developer, Opec Prime Properties Limited, a UK-based construction firm.
According to official figures, there are 1,747 tenants. Both estates were condemned in 1994 by the health ministry as unfit for human habitation.
In 2007, the Government contracted Opec to redevelop the estate into two satellite towns, with residential, commercial, and recreational facilities.
The redevelopment had been scheduled to start in February 2008 but was delayed due to the queries.
The tenants insist that Opec won the contract without following the public procurement and disposal of public assets procedures.
Naguru housing estate has 753 housing units on 37 hectares, while Nakawa has 932 units on 29 hectares. They were all built in the 1950s.