Let Nyakaana be an example to all!
Jan 18, 2005
SIR— What transpired last week when Kampala City Councillor Godfrey Nyakaana’s house (built illegally in a wetland) was demolished speaks volumes about the rule of law, or lack of it, in this country. Without joining the debate of whether NEMA was right in doing what it did, in the way it did i
SIR— What transpired last week when Kampala City Councillor Godfrey Nyakaana’s house (built illegally in a wetland) was demolished speaks volumes about the rule of law, or lack of it, in this country. Without joining the debate of whether NEMA was right in doing what it did, in the way it did it.
We have to decry the fact that Nyakaana, a KCC councillor at that, decided to use jungle law to try and get his way. Whatever arguments the councillor had, or whatever papers he possessed, the right place to solve such issues is in the courts of law. His problems with NEMA did not just start last week, but have been going on for months.
Why didn’t Nyakaana, if he possesses all the papers he says he has, go to court and seek a declaration that he built his house legally? The court then would probably have ordered NEMA) to stay away and leave Nyakaana enjoy the freedom of his property in peace.
Eve as late as Thursday, when the equipment brought to bring the house down malfunctioned, Nyakaana could have applied for a temporary injunction against NEMA while his so-called papers were sorted out.
Instead, he chose to do it the bush way, with predictable results. First he mobilised ‘residents’ who fought the Police and damaged public property. How can Nyakaana get people to fight the Police? Aren’t there laws against this? They even beat one till he was unconscious! Then, reports have it that the ‘residents’ burnt a government vehicle to ashes.
Nyakaana must be personally held responsible for all of this. There must be all kinds of sections under which this ‘councillor’ can be charged. The whole book must be thrown at him. The rule of law must prevail, and must be seen to prevail, or we might as well go back to the Stone Age.
Government should make an example of Nyakaana.
Kiwanuka Mukasa
Kampala
We have to decry the fact that Nyakaana, a KCC councillor at that, decided to use jungle law to try and get his way. Whatever arguments the councillor had, or whatever papers he possessed, the right place to solve such issues is in the courts of law. His problems with NEMA did not just start last week, but have been going on for months.
Why didn’t Nyakaana, if he possesses all the papers he says he has, go to court and seek a declaration that he built his house legally? The court then would probably have ordered NEMA) to stay away and leave Nyakaana enjoy the freedom of his property in peace.
Eve as late as Thursday, when the equipment brought to bring the house down malfunctioned, Nyakaana could have applied for a temporary injunction against NEMA while his so-called papers were sorted out.
Instead, he chose to do it the bush way, with predictable results. First he mobilised ‘residents’ who fought the Police and damaged public property. How can Nyakaana get people to fight the Police? Aren’t there laws against this? They even beat one till he was unconscious! Then, reports have it that the ‘residents’ burnt a government vehicle to ashes.
Nyakaana must be personally held responsible for all of this. There must be all kinds of sections under which this ‘councillor’ can be charged. The whole book must be thrown at him. The rule of law must prevail, and must be seen to prevail, or we might as well go back to the Stone Age.
Government should make an example of Nyakaana.
Kiwanuka Mukasa
Kampala