Kadaga rejects probe into Park Yard eviction

Mar 02, 2017

It would not make sense to institute another probe when no response has been made to our resolution on the same subject matter,” Kadaga said in response to a request by some MPs led by James Kaberuka.

Despite decrying what she described as an eviction exercise devoid of a human face, Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca  Kadaga on Wednesday rejected calls by a section of lawmakers for parliament to institute a special probe into Nakivubo Park Yard Market matters.

Kadaga contends that it would be prudent for government to proffer a response to resolutions in parliament's earlier report concerning the rapid pace at which public institutions are losing land to private developers in suspicious circumstances.

The resolutions were in parliament's select committee instituted by Kadaga following last year's controversial demolition of Nabagereka Primary School by a private developer.

"I demand that government presents a treasury memorandum about the report within a month. It would not make sense to institute another probe when no response has been made to our resolution on the same subject matter," Kadaga said in response to a request by some MPs led by James Kaberuka.

In a rare bipartisan spirit, lawmakers across a usually fractious political divide took exception to the manner in which the over 10,000 vendors plying their trade at Park Yard Market were evicted in the wee hours of Monday morning.
 
The debate followed a report about minister for Kampala, Betty Kamya, in which she described the demolition as "a successful operation" that was long overdue.

However, a number of MPs led by Mathias Mpuuga, Kaberuka, Geoffrey Macho, Moses Kasibante and Muwanga Kivumbi accused her of abdicating government's policy of protecting the urban poor against the selfish interests of rapacious capitalists.

"This country does not only belong to the rich. We should desist from treating fellow Ugandans like rubbish," Kaberuka said.

Parliament's select committee on land which was chaired by Robert Migadde highlighted in its report that land belonging to Nakivubo stadium had been encroached upon by not only Park Yard Market vendors but also connected businessman who had erected illegal structures in form of shopping malls.

"The selective eviction of vendors is really disturbing. It would make sense if all those that have encroached on Nakivubo stadium's land are evicted," Migadde told the House.

Businessman Hamsi Kigundu is set to erect an ultra-modern parking lot on the land under contestation under public private partnership arrangement

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