Gulu demolishes condemned structures
Razed. An excavator demolishes some of the structures that were marked unfit for human occupation in Gulu Municipality on Wednesday. PHOTO BY JULIUS OCUNGI.
Gulu.
Gulu Municipality authorities have started demolishing structures within the municipality that were marked as unfit for human habitation and business operation amid protests from some affected property owners.
Landlords under their umbrella body, Association of Property Owners (APO), last month secured an interim injunction restraining Gulu Municipal authorities from demolishing old buildings until August 18.
But the municipality authorities on Wednesday defied the court order and instead began demolishing some of the condemned structures.
The authorities say more than 200 old and dilapidated structures, including kiosks, semi-permanent buildings and grass-thatched huts are to be demolished in the four divisions of Pece, Layibi, Bar-dege and Laroo.
Mr Patrick Lumumba, the Bardege Division chairperson, who supervised the launch of the demolition exercise on Wednesday, said they aim at beautifying the municipality and getting rid of structures that endanger people’s lives.
“Gulu Municipality is expected to become a city by 2018. We are taking this initiative of demolishing the dilapidated structures in preparation for a city status. We cannot have a city with this kind of dilapidated structures,” Mr Lumumba told Daily Monitor in an interview.
Reacting to the court injunction, Mr Lumumba said they had not defied the court order, adding that it is only the five property owners who dragged the municipal council to court who are protected by the injunction.
