Mbarara City Council to Construct Daily Market to Safeguard Kenkombe Land

The leadership of Mbarara City Council has agreed to construct a daily market at Kenkombe land to safeguard the 114-acre public land from land grabbers.

Kenkombe land, situated in Rwentondo cell in Kakoba division, serves as a prominent dumping site for the city’s waste.

In June 2017, Mbarara municipality passed a resolution to allocate the land hosting the Kenkombe garbage dumping site for redevelopment into a residential area.

The planned estate, which includes facilities such as a school, health center, sports complex, and a five-star hotel, faced delays due to the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development’s approval process.

Upon completion, the estate would consist of 318 units, serving as a valuable resource for the municipality and its residents.

According to Assy Abirebe Tumwesigire, Mbarara City town clerk, the delay allowed land grabbers to seize about 50 acres of Kenkombe land.

He mentioned that the grabbers filed a lawsuit against the city council, claiming ownership of the disputed land.

“We possess a land title, yet they acquired a title overlapping ours. Hence, we must exercise caution when planning for Kenkombe land,” Tumwesigire explained.

During an extraordinary council meeting, councilors led by Betty Tigefera resolved to allocate a market despite the ongoing court case, aiming to protect Kenkombe land from land grabbers.

Tigefera asserted, “This land is rightfully ours. We purchased it, and its boundaries are well-defined with an original land title. If we refrain from utilizing it due to the court case, we’ll suffer losses.”

She proposed constructing a market on Kenkombe land to generate revenue for the council instead of relying on private markets.

Tigefera cautioned that leaving the contested land idle would encourage further encroachment, urging fellow leaders to support the proposal.

Councilor Godfrey Baryomunsi emphasized that as the landowners, they should proceed with the market construction despite the legal challenge.

Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi revealed that the Inspectorate General of Government intervened, and the council is awaiting the court verdict before proceeding with development plans for the land.

Kakyebezi disclosed instances of attempted bribery regarding the Kenkombe land but maintained that the land rightfully belongs to Mbarara City Council.

He urged patience among fellow leaders, emphasizing the importance of allowing justice to take its course amid the ongoing court case.