Archbishop Ssemogerere writes to Minister Kabanda on church land in Kampala

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, Paul Ssemogerere, has asked the Minister of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajat Minsa Kabanda, to take action on the ongoing encroachment of St. Balikudembe and St. Athanasius shrines at St. Balikudembe Market, commonly known as Owino.

In his letter, dated March 18th, the Archbishop stated that the Kampala Archdiocese was given 83 decimals of land around the site of St. Balikudembe and St. Athanasius Bazzeketa in Mengo Kisenyi for religious purposes.

According to Archbishop Ssemogerere, he brought the issue to the attention of the President, but there was no response.

The Archbishop indicates that later, KCCA gave St. Balikuddembe Shops and Lockup Association(SSLOA) permission to develop St. Balikudembe Market, but the church land was encroached upon, leaving it with only 37 decimals. The letter further highlights that the Kampala Archdiocese urgently needs to develop the shrine to international standards.

The Archbishop’s plea comes at a time when Kampala businessman Hamis Kigundu has built shops on the Jugula drainage channel, which connects to the Nakivubo channel, leaving the church with no clear access to the premises.

The Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, says that, in addition to the encroachment on the land of the two shrines, the access roads are almost non-existent, making the two shrines inaccessible, which blocks the drainage channel and access routes.

In November 2024, Ham Enterprises began construction on the Jugula drainage channel, a vital waterway feeding into the Nakivubo Primary School drainage channel.

During the council meeting, John Mary Ssebuufu, the city Executive Committee member, presented the status report on the challenges of Kampala’s drainage system, compiled by the City Executive Committee. The report revealed that for the KCCA budget in the forthcoming financial year 2025/26, amounting to UGX 827 billion, no funds have been allocated for the construction of primary drainage channels in Kampala.

Lukwago explained rampant encroachment of drainage channels and wetlands by city tycoons is obstructing major drainage paths, causing flooding during the rains in Kampala.

He added that the report proposed the demolition of all buildings built along drainage channels. However, councilors objected to the demolition of buildings, suggesting that the KCCA engineering committee should first inspect all affected areas to assess the impact.

Mosh Ssendi, representing Makindye East, mentioned that councilors had resolved that there was a need to hold meetings with all stakeholders to come up with lasting solutions to manage Kampala’s flooding. The council also proposed covering drainage channels using modern construction methods.

James Mubiru, a councilor from Lubaga North, stated that the tycoons in Kampala are untouchable by the Authority. Mubiru called for the urgent demolition of all structures built on drainage channels, including those by Ham Enterprises.

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URN