Summary:
Abel Bizimana, the Kisoro District LC5 Chairman, dismissed the allegations, accusing certain councilors of attempting to sell the land themselves and noting that UWA had been an obstacle to them.
KISORO: The Kisoro District Council meeting on Wednesday ended in disarray due to disagreements over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the district.
The chaos erupted after the Chief Administrative Officer announced that the District Land Board had granted contested land to UWA on a free leasehold basis.
The land in question is located along the Kabale-Bunagana road, across from the central police station, and is currently occupied by UWA offices. According to the MoU set to be signed between UWA and the Kisoro District Council, the district, under minute number 08/DLC/2019, had offered the land to UWA for the construction of a modern tourism information center.
John Nyakahuma, the Chief Administrative Officer, raised concerns about giving land on a free leasehold basis, citing potential long-term effects such as lack of flexibility and adaptability, the risk of leasehold disputes, and the possibility of losing the land altogether, especially since the government agency has an interest in the land.
CUE IN NYAKAHUMA……..ON THE LAND…….ENG//
However, Councilors Kazimil Wilson (Chahi Sub-county), Agaba James (Southern Division), and Juliet Kamusiime (Nyanamo Town Council) opposed the information. They claimed the land was sold by the Kisoro District Chairman in collaboration with his executive committee for a meager 200 shillings.
CUE IN COUNCILORS……..ON PROTEST………RR//
The heated exchange led Kisoro District Speaker Amos Hakizimana to suspend the session for 20 minutes. Hakizimana accused some councilors of being bribed to undermine his authority and claimed they were opposing without fully understanding the issues at hand. He emphasized that tourism is the district’s primary source of income, asserting that opposing it was detrimental to the district’s development.
In response, Abel Bizimana, the Kisoro District LC5 Chairman, dismissed the allegations, accusing certain councilors of attempting to sell the land themselves and noting that UWA had been an obstacle to them. He also rejected the proposal for censure, stating that by the time it is approved by the responsible authorities, he would have already left office.
CUE IN BIZIMANA…….ON THE MATTER…….RR.ENG//
