BUGANDA DEMANDS RENT ARREARS OF USHS 20 BILLION AS THE WORK ON DAMAGED KISUBI TOMBS GOES ON.
REPORTS Leo odera Omolo.
Buganda kingdom has urged the Uganda government to pay up rent arrears amounting to sh20b to enable them to reconstruct Kasubi tombs.
Mengo officials made the demands yesterday morning as the kingdom opened talks with the Central Government on the reconstruction of the burnt royal tombs.
The Buganda deputy information minister, Medard Lubega Seggona, welcomed the government’s gesture of sympathy, saying the closed door meeting had helped the two parties to work out areas of cooperation. “We are happy they have joined us in grief. They pledged to work with us and we agreed to work with them under an agreed framework,” he said.
He, however, added that the kingdom does not want to rely on handouts when the Government owes them money. “It is true we need money for rebuilding the tombs, but at the moment we are concentrating on the mourning exercise,” Seggona stated. “From the financial angle, we have reminded Government of how much they owe us. We don’t want to depend on handouts. While we are broke, we are not helpless because there is someone who owes us money in the range of sh20b. With that we can rebuild the tombs,” Seggona pointed out.
The buildings for which Mengo is demanding rent arrears include Kigo prisons, Mengo court, various district buildings and sub-county headquarters. Recently, the Kabaka sued for compensation and the Government said it should be given time to look for alternative sites.
The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Alhaji Kirunda Kivejinja, led the cabinet sub-committee on the tragedy to Mengo for the closed meeting. The Government delegation had among others; Internal affairs minister Kirunda Kivejinja, finance minister Syda Bbumba, Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya and the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura.
Kivejinja described the one-hour meeting as fruitful. “Our mission was to bring sympathy from the Government and show solidarity with Mengo over the burning of the Kasubi royal tombs,” Kivejinja told the media. “The tragedy was not only for Buganda but Uganda and the world.”
The Katikkiro, Eng. J.B Walusimbi, led the Buganda team that included Seggona, deputy Katikkiro Emmanuel Sendawula, Buganda Attorney General Apollo Makubuya, Tony Kiyimba Kaggwa, Kaddu Kiberu, Jolly Lutaaya, Ambassador William Matovu and Ambassador William Naggagga.
Buganda demanded for an independent commission of inquiry into the fire and the shooting shortly before President Yoweri Museveni visited the burnt tombs. Three people died of bullet wounds in the wake of shooting by Presidential Guard Brigade soldiers and the military police.
Seggona said the reconstruction of the world heritage site would be phased.
The government minister of Culture, Gabriel Opio said the security of cultural and heritage sites in the country will be beefed up and not left to traditional guards only.
Ends