Ssekandi’s land offer for Masaka headquarters splits leaders

Leaders in Masaka are split over the location of the district headquarters after former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi offered them a piece of land to build  it.

They say the five-acre piece of land, which is at Kyambazi Village in Kyantale Parish in Kyanamukkaka Sub-county, is not strategically located. 
Bukoto Central MP Richard Ssebamala has also pledged free land for the headquarters still in Kyanamukaaka.
Some leaders say the area is far from Bukakkata, Kyesiga and Buwunga sub-counties,  which is likely to affect service delivery .

Mr Aloysius Jjuuko, the Bukakkata LC3 chairperson, said Buwunga  should host the headquarters because it is in the centre of the district and is easily  accessible.
“The distance between Bukakkata and Kyanamukkaka is almost 40 miles, which is too far for a person who  needs  services at the district headquarters yet Buwunga is  just 20 miles away from Bukakkata and its about 15 miles from Kyanamukkaka or Kyesiga,” he said on Monday.  

Last week, the Bukakkata council unanimously passed a resolution  supporting Buwunga’s bid  to host the headquarters.
 Ms Peace Nanyondo, the council  speaker, said they would petition the Office of the Resident District Commissioner to help them take their resolution to the Ministry of Local Government for consideration.

“We are not against the free land  donations ,but Kyanamukkaka is very far, it will be costly for councillors from other areas to attend council meetings.  Other locals will also find it hard to access services, but since Buwunga is almost in the middle of the district, we think it  would be the right option,” Ms Nanyondo said.
She said Buwanga already has 20 acres of land for the headquarters, adding that the community has also offered another four for expansion.

Mr Peter Ssenkungu, the district chairperson of National Resistance Movement, said land allocation should not be the basis for deciding where to build the headquarters. 
“I know there is land in all the four sub-counties which can host the district headquarters, but we need to come up with one position which will benefit our people ,” he said.

The district chairperson, Mr Joseph Lukyamuzi Batemyeto, said the district council will meet over the matter, and urged all local leaders to remain calm.
“We are aware that several people want the district headquarters in Kyanamukkaka or Buwunga, and this has been accompanied by free land allocations which are welcome, but the council will take a final decision on the matter,” he said.
Although some leaders want the district headquarters to remain in the city,  others say it is against the decentralisation policy . 
Local govt guidelines

According to guidelines issued by Local Government minister Raphael Magyezi  last year on how the newly created new cities will operate, all tangible and intangible assets of  districts , former municipal councils, division councils, annexed town councils, and sub-counties within the territorial boundaries of the city are supposed to be  property of the latter. 

Masaka District lost its assets when government elevated Masaka municipality to a city status last year. Although the district headquarters are still within the city, they have to be shifted to another location.  Originally, Masaka was comprising Rakai, Kalangala, Kyotera ,Lyantonde , Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, and Lwengo. All  the new districts have their own headquarters except Masaka.