MASAKA. Masaka City authorities are chest thumping after re-possessing nine titles for public land which the city had previously lost to private developers.
According to Ms Florence Namayanja , the Masaka City mayor, by the time she took over office in May 2021 , the city had lost many of its valuable properties, mostly land.
‘’ Working with City Land Board leadership, we have managed to reclaim various land titles that private individuals had irregularly obtained from previous council leadership,’’ Namayanja said during an interview on Sunday
The recovered land titles, according to Ms Namayanja include that of Ssaza Market , Katwe Market , Hill Road Public School , Bwala Hill National Water & Sewerage Corporation Reservoir , New Kkumbu Playground near NWSC lagoon, Masaka Bus Terminal , Gayaza playground, Lions Nursery School and Masaka Taxi Park .
Ms Namayanja said the fight she initially launched for the city to regain possession of all council properties continues and she is optimistic that all lost properties will be reclaimed soon.
Mr Daniel Kaweesi , the Masaka City Clerk acknowledged receipt of the titles and assured the public that they will be kept safely .
” It’s true we secured the land titles and are in our custody as we pursue to get others ” he said
Mr Swaibu Makumbi Sulambaaya ,a social critic in Masaka City applauded the city authorities for recovering the titles and urged them to do more and secure all those still in the names of private individuals .
“Many public assets have over the years been sold off ,but there is nothing to show in exchange. We want all those people who illegally sold such properties arrested and prosecuted,” he said
In 2023, it emerged that a total of 20 land titles for properties owned by Masaka City Council were missing.
The city property inventory indicates that the affected properties include Kkumbu Playground, Masaka Regional Referral Hospital mortuary, the newly constructed Masaka Central Market, Katwe Market, Masaka Bus Park, and Mayor’s chambers.
Others are Old Kkumbu Estate, Lions Nursery School, Masaka Public Library, Kkumbu Forest Reserve, Transit Parking Yard, Kyabakuza Health Centre II, Kimaanya residential house, Kimaanya Kabonera Municipal headquarters, Bwala public playgrounds, City Yard, Masaka Golf Course, and several green belt spaces and plots within the central business area.