A section of property brokers in Masaka City has raised concerns over the role of technical staff in facilitating questionable construction activities on gazetted road reserves, service lanes, and greenbelts.
The accusations come after a recent ban on the sale of undersized plots, a move aimed at curbing the spread of poorly planned developments in the city.
In January, Masaka City Clerk, Daniel Kaweesa, issued a directive halting the approval of any architectural plans for plots lacking sufficient green space.
The new regulation also banned the subdivision and sale of plots smaller than 50 by 100 feet, in a bid to maintain orderly development in the city and prevent slum-like settlements.
Kaweesa has placed much of the blame for the city’s construction woes on unregulated land brokers, accusing them of violating the city’s physical plan by creating illegal plots and constructing buildings without proper clearance.
He particularly pointed to areas recently annexed to the city, where he claims rogue brokers are driving the development of unauthorised structures.
However, brokers are pushing back against the City’s leadership, challenging them to conduct a thorough audit of all suspicious construction projects in the region.
They argue that many of these illegal developments are aided by certain technical staff members, who they claim have colluded with developers to alter the approved physical plan for personal gain.
Musa Kabiito, Secretary-General of the Masaka United Brokers and Property Dealers Association, accused some technical officers of working alongside developers to manipulate the city’s zoning laws.
He claims that many illegal buildings are being constructed in restricted areas, such as road reserves and utility lanes, with the help of technical staff who falsely portray these areas as available for development.
Kabiito also accused Ward Administrators of acting as intermediaries between the developers and the technical officers responsible for approving building plans.
Fred Ssendege, another property dealer in the city, has also raised concerns about lax law enforcement, arguing that illegal constructions often proceed without interference.
He has called on the City Clerk to review the staff in the Building Review Committee and Physical Planning Department, suggesting that some are profiting from the illegal developments, while placing the blame on brokers.
Richard Busuli, another concerned citizen, urged the City Council to take proactive steps to protect gazetted service lanes and road reserves.
He proposed creating clear landmarks and marking the boundaries of these areas to prevent future encroachment by unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into buying cheap, illegal plots.
In response, Masaka City’s Senior Physical Planner, Martin Kigozi, has promised to investigate the allegations against technical staff.
He called on brokers to provide intelligence about those involved in the illegal activities, while reaffirming the city’s commitment to strictly enforce the approved physical plan.
Kigozi emphasised that the city management is determined to prevent the development of more shoddy slums and will not tolerate the continued encroachment of protected areas.
With tensions rising between land brokers and city authorities, Masaka’s future development trajectory will depend on how effectively the city leadership can address these concerns and implement the necessary checks to ensure that the physical plan is adhered to.
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