The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Kyankwanzi District, Fred Kizito Mukasa, has urged district councilors to refrain from interfering in the ongoing process of acquiring land for the district’s administrative headquarters.
While addressing councilors at the district headquarters, Mukasa revealed that the district has received two warning letters from its current landlord threatening their continued stay. He noted that the landlord’s terms require the district to pay large sums of money, which he described as excessive and unsustainable.
“The demands from the landlord are too high and unsustainable for the district. This is why we are proposing to secure a permanent home,” Mukasa said.
Mukasa emphasized that all procurement procedures have been duly followed and that the process has now reached the payment stage. He explained that the process began with advertisements in print media inviting landowners willing to sell land to the district.
“We received only one bidder. After instructing the physical planner and surveyor to assess the land, it was confirmed that the available land measures 5.7 hectares,” he explained.
He added that securing land matching the district’s initial requirement of 8 hectares proved difficult, as no landowner in the area had such a size available.
According to Mukasa, the bidder initially quoted Shs 20 million per hectare. A survey report prepared by the district’s Natural Resources Department was submitted to the Ministry of Lands, which approved a valuation of Shs 20.69 million per hectare.
“A negotiation team was constituted to engage the landlord and ensure the price does not exceed the approved valuation,” Mukasa added.
The CAO appealed to councilors to support the acquisition of the available 5.7 hectares, warning that delays could lead to escalating land prices and missed development opportunities.
“The longer we delay, the more expensive land becomes. We also risk missing funding opportunities from partners such as State House and other development agencies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kyankwanzi District Chairperson Joh. Mpuuga highlighted the limitations of the district’s current location, noting that the administrative offices sit on land owned by the Buganda Kingdom, restricting permanent infrastructure development.
“We have been restricted from constructing permanent structures. For example, we were once stopped from building a weather station,” Mpuuga said.
District leaders maintain that acquiring their own land will provide a long-term solution, enabling expansion of infrastructure and delivery of essential public services.
