Makindye mayor Yasini Omari has asked Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to approve the purchase of adjoining land to expand and develop the Division headquarters.
Omari said the division urgently needs more office space as KCCA prepares to deploy ward administrators, assistant town clerks and assistant ward administrators.
He made the remarks during a recent meeting with KCCA Deputy Director for Governance and Administration Abel Mugalya Ndoboli.
“Prior to City Hall plans of deploying ward administrators, assistant town clerks and assistant ward administrators, we lack space for offices where we shall be able to accommodate them. We don’t have a council chamber at present,” Omari said.
He said the division had earlier considered extending the existing headquarters but the plan had been delayed because officials had failed to trace the original designs and file for the building.
According to Omari, the missing documents have made it difficult for the Division to move forward with plans to address the shortage of office space, provide adequate parking for council staff and create other facilities required for the Division’s operations.
He asked KCCA to purchase a 35-decimal piece of land located near the Division headquarters to provide additional space for the planned expansion.
Omari said the proposal was discussed during a recent visit to the division by Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo, who asked him to formally document the Division’s development needs.
He said he had since prepared the documentation and submitted it to Buzeki for consideration.
Mugalya assured Makindye officials that KCCA would work to address their concerns and fast-track issues that affect service delivery.
He said the concerns raised by the division were important because KCCA’s work includes council legislation, public health, education, environmental management and other services.
Omari also asked KCCA to recover and take full control of its land and other properties that are currently being used by other entities.
He said some of the properties were either not generating revenue for the authority or were not being used in line with KCCA’s interests.
Among the properties he mentioned was land at Wabigalo Market, Wabigalo Community Centre land, which he said houses the Presidential Centre for Skilling as well as parking facilities used by Monitor Publications.
He also cited KCCA land at Kisugu, where Kisugu Health Centre III is located.
Other properties mentioned included land in Namuwongo and Bukasa, which Omari said had previously been sold but was later recovered by KCCA.
“Let us recover and take full charge of all that land belonging to KCCA” Omari said.
