BY OUR REPORTER
GOVERNMENT has finally given a nod to the vendors and fishing community at Masese Landing Site in the now Southern Division East constituency authority to officially use the land that has been under contention for several years.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAIF)Pius Wakabi Kasajja has issued a letter of No Objection which now empowers relevant authorities to lease the land that houses more than 2,000 vendors.
This was announced by the Town Clerk Ambrose Ocen who was accompanied by the technical team from Town Hall to the ecstatic vendors who forgot about social distancing and danced to celebrate the news.
The development now puts to rest controversies which led to numerous wrangles that have been going on between the vendors and council officials who had ordered the business community to relocate to another area.
Tension heightened in 2001 when government handed over the site to an Egyptian investor to set up a fish processing factory which forced many to relocate their business activities.
The Jinja District Land Board has accordingly been urged to ensure the land is leased to Jinja Municipal Council (JMC)in trust for Jinja fishing community who must not change the use.
‘…the purpose of this communication therefore, is to convey the Ministry’s No Objection to lease plot M.1.B at Masese landing site… to Jinja Municipal Council…’reads in part the letter.
The letter dated 19 August,2020 and copied to multiple offices including the Uganda Land Commission states that the initial period of lease shall be five years extendable to 49 years.
Jinja Mayor Majid Batambuze who handed over the facility to the vendors urged them to use the facility maximally to improve on their standard of living and remain productive.
Batambuze who has now shifted his political appetite to vie for the Jinja South Division East MP slot promised to lobby government to elevate the place to a modern status.
‘…once I become the next area MP we are going to work together with the relevant stakeholders in the center and locally here to ensure that this site is developed…’, Batambuze assured.
The area LC1 chairman Sam Lwanga has welcomed the development calling it timely at a time when most of the community had lost hope on the prospects of continuity.
