By Spy Uganda
Kampala: After two years of closure for renovations, old tax park has finally been opened for public use.
Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) had planned to complete this park’s works in three months but due to heavy rains and the impact of COVID 19 lockdown and some wrangles on the park’s land, works couldn’t be completed till this year.
The scope of work included construction of the carpet layer, the drainage system, toilet facility, passenger shades, clinic and renovation of park offices. However, by close of 2020, KCCA was yet to complete anything. But as works continued, another delay was caused as five companies sued KCCA for encroaching on their land.
The companies, Lukyamuzi Investments Ltd claimed 0.058 hectares, DKS Uganda Ltd (0.135 hectares), Key and Ham Investments Ltd (0.058 hectares), Abamwe Transporters Ltd (0.067 hectares), and Kabale Distributors Ltd 0.55 hectares of the land hosting the park.
They accused KCCA of encroaching on their land while constructing. The companies, which claimed to have acquired the land from the de-facto Kampala City Council-KCC, said that they had entered an understanding with KCCA to give them their land after construction of the carpet layer but that the authority had not honored that understanding.
The old taxi park occupies 0.949 hectares of land, meaning the majority of the land belongs to private developers.
In October 2021, KCCA planned to open the park but the companies secured an interim injunction on October 19th, 2021, just a day before the date set by the Authority to open the facility.
Later in December 2020, the companies also acquired a temporary injunction barring KCCA, the government, and their agents from working on the land until the high court determines their main suit.
Early this week, the Minister for Works and Transport. Gen Katumba Wamala revealed that they had agreed with KCCA to hand over the park as negotiations between the five companies and KCCA for compensation are ongoing. The results of the negotiations are yet to be known but the park is up and running.
