Kampala Capital City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has come out to destabilize plans by Makerere University to evict locals in Katanga from a disputed land. The Mayor, in a letter, asked the KCCA technical wing to halt the impending eviction of Makerere University on the disputed 37 acres of land in Katanga Valley.
“Makerere University has no vacant land in Katanga Valley as alleged by the Vice Chancellor. It therefore follows that since it is all occupied by bonafide occupants or customary tenants, the only remedies available for the university is to either compensate them in order to vacate the land or to persuade them to acquire leasehold or freehold interests,” Lukwago stated.
Lukwago says that he had received complaints from lawyers acting on behalf of Pastor Daniel Walugembe and the area LC1 chairman in which they complain of an impending eviction which would affect over 5000 residents from the disputed land. The legal battle reportedly dates back as far as 1993 and is currently at the Court of Appeal.
According to Lukwago, it will be a breach of the law for the physical planning directorate and the building control board to issue demolition orders and approve plans submitted by Makerere University before the Court of Appeal pronounces itself on the matter.
“I am utterly at the way KCCA management team gets embroiled in matters involving flouting of court orders. Makerere University can pursue their appeal and convince the justices to overturn the High Court judgment,”Lukwago says in the letter.
Background
On August 11, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Makerere University Vice Chancellor wrote to various stakeholders on the disputed land inviting them for an update about the university’s planned developments.
In the letter, Nawangwe said that Makerere University acquired the land on Block 38 commonly referred to as Lower Katanga and that it was reserved for ‘future developments in line with the University motto of ‘building for the future.’
He revealed that the university is now ready to embark on developing the land and this consequently meant that occupants on the land would be evicted hence the current scuffle.
