Nakivubo gives vendors 60 days to vacate

May 23, 2012

The proposed plan to redevelop Nakivubo War II Memorial Stadium will soon have hundreds of people evicted from the Park Yard market.

By James Bakama

The proposed master plan to redevelop Nakivubo War II Memorial Stadium will soon have hundreds of people evicted from the Park Yard market.

This follows a decision by the stadium management to clear the market to pave way for future developments.

The stadium’s board chairman Godfrey Kisekka (top) explained yesterday that the vendors have been given 60 days to vacate.

Kisekka said that besides the redevelopment of the stadium that starts later this year, the board’s decision was also hastened by a disagreement with the vendors’ leaders.

“We engaged them for four months but they don’t recognise us as their landlords,” said Kisekka at a press conference at the stadium. The decision also comes after Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) classified the market as illegal.

Kisekka noted that despite collection of money from the vendors by some individuals, the funds were neither reaching KCCA nor the stadium’s coffers.

The board says two fires that have over the past three years gutted the market have also weakened the stadium wall. “We need sh300m for repairs but we cannot do this with the market around,” said Kisekka.

On a clash between KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi and Mayor Erias Lukwago about the existence of the market, Kisekka stressed Musisi’s stand prevails.

Kisekka scoffed at those who say the stadium is being misused through non-sporting activities. “True, the core activity for the stadium is sports but revenues from these activities can no longer maintain the facilities”.

Reading financial statements of the first quarter of 2012, Kisekka explained that out of the sh70m collected, football brought only sh900,000. Rent from bus companies, shops and parking fees brought in sh31m while stadium hire brought sh32m and toilets sh6m.

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