Francis Kimuli, the Masaka District Council Speaker also indicated that the government left a communication gap between the central and local government taskforces, especially in regards to Covid-19 emergency financial releases to the different entities. As a result, according to him, the local leadership largely was largely rendered insignificant and remained unaware of when and how allocations were made to the different entities that executed works in the local areas.
Ronald Katende Kinene, the Masaka City Resident Commissioner called in the police to arrest Kigozi after the Roads Committee on inspection tour found several public roads had been blocked by private developers on approval by the Physical Planner.
Patrick Muyobu, the Chairperson of Kimanya Ward in Kimanya-Kabonera City Division, says that without close physical addresses in terms of offices that are close to the beneficiaries, the program is bound to face due to lapses in its monitoring.
Mousa Wamala, an elders representative of the Masaka City Development Forum; a platform of stakeholders who act as a linkage between the leadership and the local community, says that despite its current population of close to 350,000 people, Masaka city is geographically demarcated into only 25 parishes, that will translate into low financial allocations.
The project worth Shillings 18.06 billion was funded by a loan from the African Development Bank-ADB. The three-storeyed market was according to the contract agreement meant to be handed over by November 2019.
Martin Ssali, a councillor representing Kasanje ward to Nyendo-Mukugwe City division says many of his constituents are already regretting some of the unforeseen demands by the new city administration, arguing that these are presenting unprecedented cost implications to residents.
In 2021, the Masaka Chief Magistrate Deogratius Ssejjemba adjudicated the dispute before granting the businessmen permission to occupy the land after proving their ownership. Namawejje indicates that the affected residents have nowhere to relocate their families and allow them to pay off the businessmen.
Dr. Nathan Onyach, the Hospital Director, has confirmed the development saying it followed a complete reduction of Coronavirus Disease (COVID19) cases at the hospital.
Although Total Uganda in a letter dated February 11, 2022, maintains that they have addressed almost all grievances ahead of the Pipeline Affected Persons' compensation, the disgruntled PAPs and CSOs say that little has been done by the company and the said committees to address the escalating grievances.
Rogers Bulegeya, the Masaka City Youth Councilor contends that the quality of works executed on the roads is not worth the value for money allocated to it.
Following the creation of Masaka city in July last year, the Ministry of Local government guided the leadership of Masaka district to work on the process of relocating their administration offices to another location outside the city boundaries.
Francis Winnyi, a Councillor representing Mazinga Parish to Buwunga sub-county says that the absence of staff quarters at Mazinga government health Centre; the only facility in their area, has rendered health workers inefficient because patients cannot be attended to in time.
The leaders have raised reservations in the recruitment process of parish chiefs in the area, questioning the impartiality of a panel that interviewed the candidates.
John Mwebe, the program Coordinator-International Accountability Project (AIP), says Total intended to defraud the affected persons by keeping them in the dark. He explains that the compensation process is not transparent as it was meant to be yet the PAPS who raise their voices are intimidated or arrested.
Led by Emmanuel Lwasa and John Bosco Kissekka, the residents accuse the former Masaka Municipal council of fraudulently selling off their land before transferring it to Mandela.
In his complaint, Kayemba accused Kateregga of using his powers to order residents to raze plantations on the disputed land, and accordingly uprooted cassava, cut down coffee and other trees.
Peter Kayemba, the Makonzi Landing site Chairman, explains that they have been requesting NFA several times in more than three years to allow them to expand their residence and replace their shacks with permanent homes due to increasing congestion and filth.
The committee chaired by the Kimanya-Kabonera Division Member of Parliament Abed Bwanika learnt that the city has under unclear circumstances lost a lot of its properties that including land in green spaces and road reserves.
Yisito Muddu Kayinga from the Community Transformation Foundation Network (COTFONE), attributes the confusion surrounding the oil pipeline project
to poor information flow between the Total, New Plan field teams and
district leaders.
