By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Mbale city Authorities have issued an official statement admitting being behind the demolition of Pallisa road structure located opposite CCP vocational Institute at Main Hospital cell in Northern City Division.
On Friday last week, family members of late Edith Mary Katunku who died in 2009 accused Uganda police and Mbale city of giving security to a group of goons who came at wee hours and illegally demolished their house.
While speaking to the media in a press conference on Monday, 27th May, 2024 at Mbale City Chambers, James Kutosi, the Mbale City Public Relations Officer revealed that on 27th July 1972, Mbale city which was at the time a municipality ordered the owner of the building to break it because it was a nuisance in town.
He says that the house was too old with no toilets which was putting lives of people living there at risk.
Kutosi added that again in 2022, Mbale City Municipality through its public health Department advised Kenneth Khatuli who was Deputy Town Clerk by that time to write a letter to the owner of the house asking him to demolish it over the same reason.
He also says that on 3rd May, 2024, the Mbale high court passed a judgment directing Mbale City to break down the same building.
The PRO also says that Casimu Waboga, Mbale City Assistant Deputy Town Clerk on 16th, May, 2024 implemented the court order by writing to Hashim Hassan, the owner of the building to bring it down within 14 days or else the city will bring it down on at his own costs.
Kutosi says that Mbale city together with Ashim went and requested for security which helped them to push tenants and family members out of the house before demolition exercise adding that before demolition, they had issued warnings to occupants to vacate but they paid deaf ears.
Kutosi refused to comment on the issue about who owns the house and plot between the family members and Ashim.
SP Rogers Taitika, the Elgon region police spokesperson when contacted said that as police, they are mandated to give security to any Ugandan especially when they have a court order.
