Give tenants first priority â€" MPs
Feb 19, 2009
BUGANDA Road flat tenants should be given first priority when the National Housing and Construction Company (NH&CC) decides to sell off the flats, MPs have said.
By Mary Karugaba
BUGANDA Road flat tenants should be given first priority when the National Housing and Construction Company (NH&CC) decides to sell off the flats, MPs have said.
In a stormy meeting on Tuesday, the MPs on the finance committee, however, failed to agree on whether the tenants should be allowed to purchase the flats in their current state.
The chairman, Tindamanyire Kabondo, said although Parliament had no powers to direct a limited company on what to do, the company should follow government policies.
“We know that NH&CC is a limited company, whose decisions are made by the board, but why should Buganda Road flat tenants be treated differently?†he asked.
The MPs were meeting to discuss a draft report on a petition filed by the tenants, accusing NH&CC of denying them the right to purchase the units.
The tenants requested Parliament to halt the sale process and issue a directive to NH&CC to offer the petitioners priority to purchase their residential units without any encumbrances.
The National Housing wants to redevelop the land on which the flats are located into a commercial centre.
It offered the tenants alternative accommodation in the Namungoona estates at sh82m per unit.
NRM MPs Isaac Ssejoba and Chalice Oleny, argued that it was not a guarantee that national housing would put up the structures that were presented to Parliament.
One of the buildings the company said it wanted to construct has 35 storeys.
“How many people bring here beautiful artistic pictures, but later fail to construct the buildings and end up putting up shacks?†Ssejoba asked.
MPs Julius Balyejusa (NRM) and Simon Euku (UPC) argued that the tenants should be given a chance to redevelop the flats.
However, Barnabas Tinkasiimire (NRM) said: “Let the tenants buy the units after the redevelopment. We should not leave them in the hands of the company to be exploited.â€
BUGANDA Road flat tenants should be given first priority when the National Housing and Construction Company (NH&CC) decides to sell off the flats, MPs have said.
In a stormy meeting on Tuesday, the MPs on the finance committee, however, failed to agree on whether the tenants should be allowed to purchase the flats in their current state.
The chairman, Tindamanyire Kabondo, said although Parliament had no powers to direct a limited company on what to do, the company should follow government policies.
“We know that NH&CC is a limited company, whose decisions are made by the board, but why should Buganda Road flat tenants be treated differently?†he asked.
The MPs were meeting to discuss a draft report on a petition filed by the tenants, accusing NH&CC of denying them the right to purchase the units.
The tenants requested Parliament to halt the sale process and issue a directive to NH&CC to offer the petitioners priority to purchase their residential units without any encumbrances.
The National Housing wants to redevelop the land on which the flats are located into a commercial centre.
It offered the tenants alternative accommodation in the Namungoona estates at sh82m per unit.
NRM MPs Isaac Ssejoba and Chalice Oleny, argued that it was not a guarantee that national housing would put up the structures that were presented to Parliament.
One of the buildings the company said it wanted to construct has 35 storeys.
“How many people bring here beautiful artistic pictures, but later fail to construct the buildings and end up putting up shacks?†Ssejoba asked.
MPs Julius Balyejusa (NRM) and Simon Euku (UPC) argued that the tenants should be given a chance to redevelop the flats.
However, Barnabas Tinkasiimire (NRM) said: “Let the tenants buy the units after the redevelopment. We should not leave them in the hands of the company to be exploited.â€