Army chief claims Masaka municipality headquarters
Sep 13, 2011
A row has erupted between the Army Chief of Staff, Brig. Silver Kayemba and Masaka mayor Godfrey Kayemba over who owns the municipal council main building.
By DISMUS BUREGYEYA
A row has erupted between the Army Chief of Staff, Brig. Silver Kayemba and Masaka mayor Godfrey Kayemba over who owns the municipal council main building.
The building under dispute houses the municipal council mayoral chambers, the municipal court, the council conference room, the office of the municipal council speaker and the council planning unit.
Brig. Kayemba claims that he bought the property from the Masaka district land board and has told the municipal council to vacate the building in two weeks.
“I have the required document and minutes from the relevant offices, including a title approving me as the legal owner of the said building. Nobody is going to stop me. If they do not want me in Masaka, let them refund my money,†he told New Vision.
In a September 5 letter, addressed to Masaka town clerk Johnson Baryantuma and copied to the mayor, Brig. Kayemba asked the municipal council to become his tenants if they do not have anywhere to relocate.
But the mayor said Kayemba wouldn’t get the building.
“Let Brig. Kayemba dare step his foot in the mayor’s chambers and he will know what we are made of. We shall not vacate the building we have occupied for years,†he said.
The town clerk said: “I have been kept in the dark about the sale of the building and it is strange.â€
Meanwhile, the Indian Community in Uganda has also petitioned the lands ministry and the State House, claiming ownership of the same building.
“The building was a worship place for the Hindu faith and it is among our properties under the Asians umbrella society,†said Rajan Taylor, the association board of trustees chairman, in a phone interview.
Masaka LC5 chairman Joseph Kalungi last week summoned the municipal land committee chairman, George William Kisenyi, to explain why they recommended the sale of the building.
Masaka chief administrative officer Ruhemba Kweyamba said the district land board should explain why they sold the building.
A row has erupted between the Army Chief of Staff, Brig. Silver Kayemba and Masaka mayor Godfrey Kayemba over who owns the municipal council main building.
The building under dispute houses the municipal council mayoral chambers, the municipal court, the council conference room, the office of the municipal council speaker and the council planning unit.
Brig. Kayemba claims that he bought the property from the Masaka district land board and has told the municipal council to vacate the building in two weeks.
“I have the required document and minutes from the relevant offices, including a title approving me as the legal owner of the said building. Nobody is going to stop me. If they do not want me in Masaka, let them refund my money,†he told New Vision.
In a September 5 letter, addressed to Masaka town clerk Johnson Baryantuma and copied to the mayor, Brig. Kayemba asked the municipal council to become his tenants if they do not have anywhere to relocate.
But the mayor said Kayemba wouldn’t get the building.
“Let Brig. Kayemba dare step his foot in the mayor’s chambers and he will know what we are made of. We shall not vacate the building we have occupied for years,†he said.
The town clerk said: “I have been kept in the dark about the sale of the building and it is strange.â€
Meanwhile, the Indian Community in Uganda has also petitioned the lands ministry and the State House, claiming ownership of the same building.
“The building was a worship place for the Hindu faith and it is among our properties under the Asians umbrella society,†said Rajan Taylor, the association board of trustees chairman, in a phone interview.
Masaka LC5 chairman Joseph Kalungi last week summoned the municipal land committee chairman, George William Kisenyi, to explain why they recommended the sale of the building.
Masaka chief administrative officer Ruhemba Kweyamba said the district land board should explain why they sold the building.