Magyezi warns govt officials against selling public land

Local Government minister Raphael Magyezi has cautioned urban authorities against selling public land.

‘’Many of you are making the mistake of selling public land. You are going to land in trouble. Leave public land the way you found it,” he said.

Magyezi decried a tendency by various urban authorities to sell government land, going on to warn that:

“If you see something happening like that, quickly call me or somebody from the ministry, we shall step in,’’ Magyezi remarked during the 58^th Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU) annual general assembly in Kisoro District on Friday.

The gathering was held under the theme: “Accelerating social economic transformation of Uganda through urbanization and industrialization, a role for all of us.”

According to Magyezi, urban authorities using tricks to sell government land risk facing legal action in line with the Ugandan law.

“Leave public land the way you found it. We shall need it for parks, for recreation grounds, schools and so on,” he told attendees.

Meanwhile, the minister also asked leaders in non-coded newly created town councils to submit their matter to his office so that he sends the ministry technocrats to come and find out what is on ground.

“This applies only to operationalizing those administrative units which were already created,” he noted.

Further, Magyezi asked leaders not to allow councils to propose creation of new administrative units saying it is against the government's ban on creation of new such establishments.

His remarks come following a heated debate at the Kisoro District Council over the creation of Bukimbiri District.

The district council recently referred the bill for the creation of Bukimbiri District to lower local councils for consultations.

Meanwhile, Urban Authorities Association of Uganda President Dr Wilson Sanya asked Magyezi to follow up on the presidential pledge of Shs500m annually for the association.