By Mulengera Reporter
At the instigation of the President Gen YK Museveni, Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Minister Minsa Kabanda has put together a Committee to interface with businessman Hassan Bulwadda to help the GoU develop the appropriate understanding of his proposal to transform the current Kampala Constitutional/City Square. The proposal is to transform one of Kampala’s few remaining green spaces into a well-built shopping and recreation center.
The Ministerial Committee will then write a report for the President advising on the suitability of Hassan Bulwadda’s proposed redevelopment project. Basing on the recommendations, the veteran leader from Rwakitura will have the last word on whether the project goes on or not.
According to Hajjat Minsa Kabanda Nabbengo, the Committee has already been established by her under the guidance of the President. The members include Susan Nakawuki from Ministry of Tourism, the Minister of Internal Affairs Juma Kisekka Witonze, the Minister of Lands Judith Nabakooba, the Attorney General Dr. Sam Mayanja, Presidency Minister Milly Babalanda and State Minister for Kampala Affairs Kabuye Kyofa Togabye. Minsa Kabanda has also written to the top NPA leaders Dr Joseph Muvawala the ED and the Executive Chairperson Prof Pamela Mbabazi Sabiiti asking them to nominate a representative in case the Executive Director is too busy to sit on the Committee himself.
Minsa Kabanda, who is the MP for Kampala Central where the targeted City Square is situated, says there is no need to involve the Kampala Lord Mayor Balimwezo Nsubuga or any of the elected leaders at City Hall at this point in time. She says that when time is appropriate for them to be involved a KCCA Authority council meeting will be convened to enable the people’s representatives give their views, which won’t have to bind anyone.
The Kampala Minister has also called upon the people of Kampala not to be very angry at the President for tabling the proposal because the process to degazette City Square and have it redeveloped started many years ago at the time DP’s Sebaana Kizito, who was a big man in the opposition, was still serving as the Mayor of Kampala.
Indeed, the DP government at City Hall had in the early 2000s allocated the land to City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba who eventually had to be compensated by Museveni’s government to rescue back the public land comprising of the impugned green space.
This was after Erias Lukwago, in his capacity as Kampala Central MP, rallied ordinary Kampalans and mounted pressure which caused the President to order a refund of the billions Basajjabalaba had paid to the DP-led KCC for the controversial NRM businessman to grumblingly bow out. Minsa Kabanda wants the people of Kampala to have all that historical context as they debate the latest proposal favoring Kampala real estate tycoon Hassan Bulwadda.
She is calling on Kampalans to always trust President Museveni’s judgment because, as an experienced leader of 40 years in power and still counting, the big man from Rwakitura is always seeing more far than anyone else in Uganda. Minsa Kabanda, who is also the one leading the collection of pro-MK signatures for 2031 in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, says that Gen Museveni tasobya/is incapable of making mistakes and generally being wrong on anything. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
