Masaka City status wont come from court- Government

Government has asked authorities in Masaka district to consider other means of demanding for city status as court wont give them the necessary solutions.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/05/28/masaka-residents-take-government-to-court-over-denial-of-city-status/

Leaders in the district, yesterday instructed their lawyer Jude Mbabaali to sue the Attorney General and the Minister for local government, over what they termed as deliberate denial by government to grant their municipality city status.

These argued that Masaka Municipality has all the necessary requirements to be granted city status including; Populations, water sources and economic viability, but government has chosen to eliminate the municipality from elevation into city.

As a result, they dragged government to court to explain criteria used and circumstances that propelled their city denial.

However, the state minister for local government, Jennifer Namuyangu has advised the group to seek other means of redress other than court, urging they would rather resort to dialogue with government.

“Masaka was considered but we shall operationalise the cities in phases, it is unfair to say we didn’t follow criteria. Masaka was not in development plan for cities since we had already covered Kampala in central plan,” she said.

“Masaka even brought in their minutes only 6 months ago, that was very late,” she added.

Masaka District residents follow those of Mbale who last week staged a protest demanding city status ‘now or never’.

The once cleanest municipality in Uganda will be named city in the second phase (2021-2022) of elevation, but residents insist they want a city status in the first phase.