Who will stop battle over old park plots?
Aug 20, 2008
TWO weeks ago, bull dozers destroyed a building at the Old Taxi Park which housed lock-up shops. The shops were built in the 1940s and in 2003, Kampala City Council (KCC) demarcated the land for redevelopment. KCC leased the plots to city property monguls for a five year-term at sh200m each as premi
By Joshua Kato
TWO weeks ago, bull dozers destroyed a building at the Old Taxi Park which housed lock-up shops. The shops were built in the 1940s and in 2003, Kampala City Council (KCC) demarcated the land for redevelopment. KCC leased the plots to city property monguls for a five year-term at sh200m each as premium and ground rent.
The business people are expected to modernise the park. But the occupants, who are mostly traders dealing in household items, have been paying rent and fees to KCC.
Two thousand people have been displaced and if the exercise continues, about 10,000 people will be affected.
In the past, changes that affect the source of income for taxi touts and small street vendors were resisted. And worse still, KCC and the central government have issued contradictory statements.
Last week, State House, through the official press secretary to the President, Tamale Mirundi, issued a statement halting the redevelopment. The statement advised KCC to give priority to the sitting tenants.
However, the Kampala mayor, Hajji Nasser Sebaggala, said the redevelopment has to go ahead, arguing that the tenants do not have the capacity to put up buildings to the required standard.
Some people whom KCC gave plots are disgruntled. For instance, Hajji Abdul Kasayi who has been stopped from construction for the second time, despite the fact that he secured a court order that granted him permission to develop his plot.
KCC first mooted the plan to change the face of the park about eight years ago. Dilapidated buildings surrounding the park will be demolished and replaced with storeyed shopping malls.
KCC demarcated at least 10 plots and leased them out to city business people, most of whom already have properties in prime areas of the city. The lease was signed about four years ago and will soon expire, even before the developers start their work. “Some people got loans to develop the plots and the banks are on our necks,†says Kasayi.
The final lease of the plots was done between 2003 and 2004. Construction should have started then, but the project has been delayed by traders resisting eviction.
“It has become a custom to resist development in Kampala, especially by sitting tenants and some politicians, but development is irreversible. Whoever stands in the way will be defeated,†Sebaggala, says.
“The Land Act stipulates that if a land owner (KCC), is going to sell land, the sitting tenant has to be given first priority. In this case, we, the traders, are the sitting tenants,†says Samuel Lwanga, a trader. The President’s Office based on the Land Act to suspend the developments.
However, Sebaggala says: “KCC first made evaluations before making the decision.†He adds that he is implementing his predecessor, John Ssebaana Kizito’s decisions.
The old park is over 60 years old. It accommodates about 3,000 commuter taxis. In 1989, the New Taxi Park on Namirembe Road was created to decongest the old one.
According to KCC, both parks must be replaced with modern shopping malls. Last week, the KCC works committee passed a resolution allowing a group, The New Taxi Park Lock-up Owners Association, to proceed with the developments.
According to KCC, sitting kiosk owners have been granted the right to redevelop the area. KCC envisages that revenue from these developments will increase.
KCC expects to earn over sh400m per month from business licences and ground rent. KCC is also supposed to collect sh290m per month from the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association (UTODA). However, the body is in arrears worth billions of shillings.
UTODA protests that the space provided for in the development plan will not be sufficient for taxis to park in. Four years ago, a plan to develop the Baganda Bus Park was implemented. According to the plan, a modern bus terminal was supposed to be constructed.
However, a shopping mall took up most space, leaving enough for only 20 out of the 120 buses which occupied the park. Vendors in the old park now fear a similar scenario may occur.
TWO weeks ago, bull dozers destroyed a building at the Old Taxi Park which housed lock-up shops. The shops were built in the 1940s and in 2003, Kampala City Council (KCC) demarcated the land for redevelopment. KCC leased the plots to city property monguls for a five year-term at sh200m each as premium and ground rent.
The business people are expected to modernise the park. But the occupants, who are mostly traders dealing in household items, have been paying rent and fees to KCC.
Two thousand people have been displaced and if the exercise continues, about 10,000 people will be affected.
In the past, changes that affect the source of income for taxi touts and small street vendors were resisted. And worse still, KCC and the central government have issued contradictory statements.
Last week, State House, through the official press secretary to the President, Tamale Mirundi, issued a statement halting the redevelopment. The statement advised KCC to give priority to the sitting tenants.
However, the Kampala mayor, Hajji Nasser Sebaggala, said the redevelopment has to go ahead, arguing that the tenants do not have the capacity to put up buildings to the required standard.
Some people whom KCC gave plots are disgruntled. For instance, Hajji Abdul Kasayi who has been stopped from construction for the second time, despite the fact that he secured a court order that granted him permission to develop his plot.
KCC first mooted the plan to change the face of the park about eight years ago. Dilapidated buildings surrounding the park will be demolished and replaced with storeyed shopping malls.
KCC demarcated at least 10 plots and leased them out to city business people, most of whom already have properties in prime areas of the city. The lease was signed about four years ago and will soon expire, even before the developers start their work. “Some people got loans to develop the plots and the banks are on our necks,†says Kasayi.
The final lease of the plots was done between 2003 and 2004. Construction should have started then, but the project has been delayed by traders resisting eviction.
“It has become a custom to resist development in Kampala, especially by sitting tenants and some politicians, but development is irreversible. Whoever stands in the way will be defeated,†Sebaggala, says.
“The Land Act stipulates that if a land owner (KCC), is going to sell land, the sitting tenant has to be given first priority. In this case, we, the traders, are the sitting tenants,†says Samuel Lwanga, a trader. The President’s Office based on the Land Act to suspend the developments.
However, Sebaggala says: “KCC first made evaluations before making the decision.†He adds that he is implementing his predecessor, John Ssebaana Kizito’s decisions.
The old park is over 60 years old. It accommodates about 3,000 commuter taxis. In 1989, the New Taxi Park on Namirembe Road was created to decongest the old one.
According to KCC, both parks must be replaced with modern shopping malls. Last week, the KCC works committee passed a resolution allowing a group, The New Taxi Park Lock-up Owners Association, to proceed with the developments.
According to KCC, sitting kiosk owners have been granted the right to redevelop the area. KCC envisages that revenue from these developments will increase.
KCC expects to earn over sh400m per month from business licences and ground rent. KCC is also supposed to collect sh290m per month from the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association (UTODA). However, the body is in arrears worth billions of shillings.
UTODA protests that the space provided for in the development plan will not be sufficient for taxis to park in. Four years ago, a plan to develop the Baganda Bus Park was implemented. According to the plan, a modern bus terminal was supposed to be constructed.
However, a shopping mall took up most space, leaving enough for only 20 out of the 120 buses which occupied the park. Vendors in the old park now fear a similar scenario may occur.