Lukwago allocates city land board office space

By Charles Sekajja

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago Tuesday allocated Kampala District land Board office space at his Mayor’s Parlor at Nakesero.

Police on Sunday sealed off the office the Kampala District Land Board, Yusuf Nsibambi, pending investigations into alleged fraud and abuse of office on Sunday.  The locked office is Room B206 on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.

Lukwago told a news conference in Kampala that police erred to seal off the office.

“I have decided to allocate space to the Kampala District Land Board to continue its work because it’s legal. Nobody should antagonize the board,” Lukwago said.

The spokesperson of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Peter Kaujju said the Police demanded that the office remain locked to allow detectives to carry out investigations.

"We received a letter from the Police notifying us to secure the area due to ongoing investigations into alleged fraud in that office," Kaujju said.

Last week, the Police wrote to the KCCA executive director, Jennifer Musisi, asking her to take action against Nsibambi over alleged abuse of office and forgery in the land board's office.

This follows weeks of fighting between Nsibambi and Musisi over the management of city land. On April 2, KCCA's director for human resources, Jennifer Kaggwa suspended the secretary to the Land Board, Sarah Kusiima replacing her with Diana Nambi.

But Nsibambi replied saying KCCA had no powers to dismiss Kusiima since she was answerable to the board chairperson, and her position was deemed permanent. He attributed the impasse to people bent on acquiring plots of land in prime areas of the city using KCCA.

Addressing journalists at Speke Hotel in Kampala Monday, Nsibambi accused the Police of breaking into his office.

"When we came to office in the morning to attend a board's meeting and found Policemen outside our offices. I advised my colleagues to convene elsewhere," Nsibambi said.

Nsibambi, who was in the company of five other board members, said he would seek an explanation from the inspector general of police, Gen. Kale Kayihura over the alleged break-in.

But Police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan, Ibin Senkumbi denied that they broke into the lands office.

"We sealed off the office because we feared some officials would take vital documents linked to the investigations," he said, adding that the office would be opened once investigations are concluded.

Nsibambi said the board was considering renting an office outside City Hall as it waited for the matter to be resolved.

Asked whether he would step aside to pave for investigations into the board's activities in managing the city's land, Nsibambi said he would not comply.

He revealed that he had contemplated resigning his position following the impasse, for the sake of his family.

"My family was pressing me to resign, but opinion leaders advised me to continue fighting for the common man. I am ready to fight to end," he stated.

Senkumbi disclosed that five of the six board members had already recorded statements at the Central Police Station in connection with the case. They are Nsibambi, Jesse Kiwanuka (accountant), Ntege Farouk (valuation surveyor), Mariam Musoke and Joyce Nayiga, who are members.