By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
Councilors in Sironko district have asked the land management officers under the natural resource department to show transparency in the exercise of allocating plots at Mutufu government land located at Mutufu town council which is soon to kick off.
The district has plans to rent plots to developers at Mutufu government land which stretches 68 acres such that they can generate local revenue for the district.
Merise Mudenga, the councilor representing Mutufu Town Council says that as councilors they want the district to advertise in the media such that Ugandans who are interested can apply and get plots for developing or carrying out farming.
She adds that it’s a big shame that councilors are not aware of how much money the district collects in each financial year from tenants who have occupied that land.
Mudenga also says that from 2011 to 2016 while she was the district speaker, she used to push the district technocrats under land management to update the council each financial year where they used to collect over 20 million from tenants but with current leadership they no longer get updates.
Alie Mado, councilor representing Buyobo Sub County says that what hurts them as councilors is that even some executive members and technocrats have acquired plots indirectly and they don’t pay rent to the district which cost the district in terms of getting local revenue.
Madio adds that since some technocrats and executive members don’t remit rent fee to the district, it’s hard to ask tenants who have occupied the land to pay.
Ivan Bigala, the deputy speaker of Sironko district told this website that the council has directed the secretary for finance in the next council to declare local revenue collected from all district properties.
He adds that this will be the solution to address the allegations of some technocrats and executive leaders who have acquired plots at Mutufu government land but are not remitting rent payments.
Getting a comment from Luke Lokuda, the Chief administrative officer was futile by press time after saying he busy driving.
