KCCA officials grilled over Usafi boundaries

KAMPALA. Technocrats at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on Monday had a rough time to explain the circumstances under which the boundaries of Usafi market were altered by businessman, John Bosco Muwonge.

The officials led by the Acting Executive Director, Samuel Serunkuuma, were queried by the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and councillors during a special council meeting.

The meeting was triggered by the Usafi vendors’ petition to the Lord Mayor dated April 19, protesting the alteration of the market boundaries.

The facility which was bought by government through KCCA at a staggering Shs39b in 2014, measures 6.18 acres.

However, council learnt that Mr Muwonge had altered the boundaries, claiming 18 decimals of the land, something that has since raised eyebrows, with city leaders and vendors accusing KCCA of allegedly giving away public land.

Mr Lukwago, who visibly looked angry, demanded to know why KCCA technocrats had never brought it to the attention of the authority on how part of the makeshift structure had been erected on Mr Muwonges’s land.

He noted that KCCA’s involvement in the eviction of vendors from the contested land and the subsequent alteration of boundaries, was suspicious and merits an inquiry.

“By the time we bought that land [Usafi], Mr Muwonge never came up to claim it but I’m so surprising that he is coming up now. If vendors have been occupying Mr Muwonge’s land as you claim, how come it’s KCCA that forcefully participated in the eviction of vendors and not Mr Muwonge himself?” Mr Lukwago asked.

But Mr Serunkuuma explained that Mr Muwonge had previously written to the institution’s top management, asking them to evict vendors before he could start developing the same land.

“Mr Muwonge hasn’t grabbed Usafi land as many people are claiming. It’s true that we erected the shed of the market on part of his land which neighbours the market land. Even after curving off his 18 decimals, our 6.18 acres will remain. When he wrote to us, we decided to relocate the vendors to some other place in the market,” he said.

His explanation didn’t satisfy councillors who tasked him to explain why KCCA law enforcement officers had arrested the leaders of the market who were blocking the alteration of boundaries.

“But why did you arrest those who were trying to put up a spirited fight against the eviction of the vendors? Why was KCCA working on behalf of Muwonge?” asked Moses Katabu, the Kampala central councillor.

Mr Lukwago also claimed that there was collusion between KCCA technocrats and Mr Muwonge to grab the market land.

Charles Ouma, the KCCA director of legal affairs said that they will prepare a full report on Usafi market and submit it to council next week.

In their petition, vendors accused KCCA executive director, Jennifer Musisi of turning a deaf ear to their queries when they petitioned her.

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