UGANDA, Masindi | Real Muloodi News | The Masindi District Council found itself in turmoil on Thursday 27th July 2023 as a heated discussion erupted over the allocation of land to Bunyoro University for the establishment of a study centre.
The controversy began in February when the Masindi District Production Committee recommended allocating 52.7 hectares of land in Kayanja Village to the Bunyoro University Task Force.
The council approved the recommendation without realising that the designated land was legally owned by Magalies Distillers Uganda Limited, an alcohol distilling company, with a valid land title.
Councilor Johnson Kiiza, representing Bikonzi Sub County, along with his colleagues, raised concerns about the oversight in the decision-making process.
They discovered that the motion to allocate the land to Bunyoro University was mysteriously missing from the order paper, leading to suspicions of foul play.
The tension reached a boiling point during a council meeting on Thursday when Mr Kiiza and other councillors confronted the district speaker, Mr Moses Kirya, over the contentious land allocation process.
The situation quickly escalated into physical altercations for about an hour, prompting Mr Kirya to call the police to remove the unruly councillors from the chambers.
The district Chairman, Mr Cosmas Byaruhanga, and the Chief Administrative Officer, Ms Phionah Sanyu, had to leave the council chambers for their safety.
The situation in Masindi District Council has sparked outrage among the public, who are demanding accountability and transparency in the decision-making process.
Concerned residents fear that the council’s inability to address crucial issues without descending into chaos may hinder the development and progress of the region.
The Public University of Bunyoro was approved by President Museveni in 2021, with Prof Samuel Kyamanywa appointed by Minister for Education and Sports Janet K Museveni in June last year to head the task force for its establishment.
The task force identified the current Bulera Core Primary Teachers College in Hoima District as the headquarters of the proposed University, while other districts in the Bunyoro region, such as Masindi and Kibaale, were meant to host other study centres.
However, there has been a delay in acquiring land from other districts for study centres, along with limited funding from the government, posing challenges to the university’s establishment process.
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