UGANDA, Mbarara | Real Muloodi News | Mbarara District Local Government and Mbarara City Council have been feuding over the administration building that currently hosts Makerere University Business School-Mbarara Branch, Council Hall, Presidential house, and Kakyeka Stadium, among others found in Kamukuzi Division.
To settle the dispute, Raphael Magyezi, Local Government Minister, has appointed a committee to determine fair sharing of property between Mbarara City and Mbarara District.
Kashari South Member of Parliament, Basil Bataringaya, is the chairperson of the committee. The ten-man committee includes five members of Parliament within Mbarara City and the District, the City Mayor, Mbarara LC V Chairperson, City Clerk, and Chief Administrative Officer.
The newly made up committee was only given two weeks to develop a report that will guide Minister Magyezi to determine the sharing of the property. Their report is due next week.
According to MP Bataringaya, the committee is tasked to examine the list of properties owned by Mbarara City and those that belong to the District, propose fair sharing of the properties and submit a report with recommendations to Minister Magyezi on what actions to take.
During the inauguration of Mbarara City, the Minister directed the Mbarara district leadership to remain at its current location until the government constructs for it an administration.
However, the District Council recently passed a resolution stopping the Mbarara City council from holding events at some properties until further notice.
Mbarara district LC V chairperson, Didas Tabaro, says they will not give up their assets, noting that the titles of the properties are in the names of the Mbarara District Local Government.
He further says that the district will lose about USh 900 million generated in local revenue by surrendering the properties.
Mbarara City Mayor, Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, recognises the urgency to resolve the property issue between the two Mbarara administrative units.
He, however, explains that public property belongs to the government, and any income raised from the property is to serve the citizens.
The Mayor asked the district to follow the government policy on assets once the government establishes a new administrative block.
According to Mayor Kakyebezi, Kamukuzi hill was the headquarters of the greater Ankole Kingdom and owned much of the land that currently belongs to the Mbarara District Local Government.
Kakyebezi further says that Mbarara surrendered various properties when it gave birth to Isingiro, Ibanda, Kiruhura and Rwampara districts and Mbarara district signed transfer forms, allowing them to get titles in their names.
Since the inauguration of seven regional cities of Mbarara, Masaka, Jinja, Mbale, Arua, Gulu and Fort Portal, their operationalization has faced different hurdles, including court cases against the Minister’s guidance on asset sharing.
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