Museveni stops sale of Lugogo playground
Jul 11, 2007
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has stopped the sale of Lugogo playground to a private investor, Valley View Estates.
By Florence Nakaayi
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has stopped the sale of Lugogo playground to a private investor, Valley View Estates.
In a June 5 letter to the local government minister, Kahinda Otafiire, Museveni ordered that the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) should continue using the 25 hectares of land on Jinja Road.
He said the private investor should be allocated alternative land for investment.
Otafiire had accused UMA of interfering in the re-development plans of the playground.
UMA complained that Kampala City Council did not give them a chance to re-develop the land.
The association also argued that giving the land to another investor would interfere with the annual trade fair, during which the playground is used as a parking yard.
“I have been reading in the media about your quarrels with UMA over their parking space,†Museveni wrote to Otafiire. “I recall I directed you, in our meeting of March 23 at State house, that UMA should not be excluded from the playground, as this would kill the trade fair’s showground.â€
He also reminded Otafiire that they had agreed to give UMA, the sitting tenants, first priority on leasing the land.
“The investor you mentioned should be allocated alternative land for investment and UMA should go ahead and add value to the property as they stated,†Museveni said.
The President told Otafiire to “desist from selling that land to any other developers and to formalise UMA’s acquisition of the land.â€
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has stopped the sale of Lugogo playground to a private investor, Valley View Estates.
In a June 5 letter to the local government minister, Kahinda Otafiire, Museveni ordered that the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) should continue using the 25 hectares of land on Jinja Road.
He said the private investor should be allocated alternative land for investment.
Otafiire had accused UMA of interfering in the re-development plans of the playground.
UMA complained that Kampala City Council did not give them a chance to re-develop the land.
The association also argued that giving the land to another investor would interfere with the annual trade fair, during which the playground is used as a parking yard.
“I have been reading in the media about your quarrels with UMA over their parking space,†Museveni wrote to Otafiire. “I recall I directed you, in our meeting of March 23 at State house, that UMA should not be excluded from the playground, as this would kill the trade fair’s showground.â€
He also reminded Otafiire that they had agreed to give UMA, the sitting tenants, first priority on leasing the land.
“The investor you mentioned should be allocated alternative land for investment and UMA should go ahead and add value to the property as they stated,†Museveni said.
The President told Otafiire to “desist from selling that land to any other developers and to formalise UMA’s acquisition of the land.â€