Old Taxi Park celebrates M7 directive

Aug 31, 2009

BUSINESS halted at the Old Taxi Park on Thursday as traders and taxi operators jubilated over President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to return the park’s plots to them for re-development.

By Florence Nakaayi and Eddie Ssejoba

BUSINESS halted at the Old Taxi Park on Thursday as traders and taxi operators jubilated over President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to return the park’s plots to them for re-development.

Taxis jammed streets in down-town Kampala as traders slaughtered a bull and turned the place into a rally, vowing to support Museveni’s fourth term presidential bid.

“Akuuwa naawe gwoowa, Museveni tumuwe kuba naye atuwadde”, meaning, “The President has given us, we should also give back by giving him our votes,” said UTODA chairman Hajji Musa Katongole.

In an August 19 letter, local government minister Adolf Mwesige said Museveni had directed Kampala City Council to revoke the leases for the park plots, which had been allocated to 11 private developers.

Mwesige stated that the sitting tenants, who comprise The Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA), Kampala Disabled Traders Association and Old Taxi Park Non-resident Tenants Association were to develop the premises.

Since 2005 when KCC leased the plots, development failed to kick-off following protests from sitting tenants who said KCC had denied them the opportunity to redevelop the premises.

“We are over 30,000 and want to assure the President that we have the capacity to develop these plots and we shall not put him (Museveni) to shame,” said UTODA vice-chairman Chris Ssengooba.

Addressing the rally, the deputy resident district commissioner, Rose Kirabira, assured the sitting tenants of support and urged them to organise themselves for economic development.

Several musicians, including Haruna Mubiru alias Kitooke, the Samads dancers and Sophie and Sam Gombya threw the traders into prolonged cheering as they chanted NRM slogans, saying they would reward Museveni in the 2011 presidential elections.

The celebrants said they slaughtered a bull to cleanse the park.

Most taxi operators abandoned work to join the celebrations.

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