Nyakagezi Cell residents in North Ward of Rukundo Town Council have castigated the Town Council administration for hiring out public land to a private individual.
The concerned residents want authorities to rescind its decision of tendering out the Mariba-Kibaya land to an individual yet they have been using it for grazing animals alongside other benefits.
The said land stretches from Nkanka water source to the proposed site for Kisoro Industrial Park, near the Uganda – DRC border, and is span about 6 acres.
According to them, the land has for long been their sole source of firewood, bean stakes and pasture for their animals.
Yobokimana Transphor is said to have hired the land from the Town Council for Shillings 2.5 million for one year.
When we visited the land on Monday July 15, Yobokimana had already started clearing the bushes, readying it for cultivation.
But some residents of Nyakagezi find it inappropriate that authorities hired the only land where they collectively
“Most of us don’t have enough land to graze our animals or even harvest bean stakes. But this has been our sole sources since I was born. Now that planting season is coming, we shall have difficulty in grazing our animals. Some of us are youths who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Alex Hakizimana, a resident.
Niyonzima Callist, a resident of Bushunga B village, advises that the tenderer should occupy the land in question for one year, before it is repurposed for public use.
Speaking to www.vomuhabura.com, Niyonzima says, “we are not saying that the tenderer should be chased from the land and he loses his money. We want him to only use the land for this season and allow us to use it again. We want to graze in the same land because it is public property.”
The Nyakagezi village LCI Chairperson, Nzanywayimana James, insists his people depended on the small land, after over 600 acres were given to the Uganda Investment Authority for establishing of Kisoro Industrial Park.
“Many people use this land freely, just like they have told you. But now that the land has been tendered out, my people are in dismay. It’s not my residents only, but many people from all around.” He said.
“I am 67 years, but all the people have freely been using this land since I was born. I now don’t know where we shall turn to for bean stakes, pasture and firewood,” Nzanywayimana added.
But the Mayor, Ndagijimana Clever, says the Town Council is struggling with finances, and the land was an alternative to support its budget.
According to Ndagijimana, tendering the land was a source of revenue for the urban council that is yet to receive funding from the Central government for operationalization.
“We majorly wanted to get revenue. Our plan is that after the land has been cleared after a few years, we can establish a market, because the one we have is operated from the middle of the road.” He said.
“As a council, we left out the water source since people’s livestock gather there. But the land in question was never left out for the public to use as they are saying, butt for future projects.” Ndagijimana added.
Created in 2021, Rukundo Town Council is financially incapacitated with no funding received from the government to date.
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