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Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Jinja City authorities have resolved to demolish kiosks, which were erected in the different service lanes.
The service lane in contest is a 100 meters stretch through Clive road West to Nizam road West. There are two petrol stations, one secondary school and 10 major arcades, housing about 350 traders.
The decision follows complaints from residents who petitioned the city leadership.
Yahaya Menhya, a resident says that, service lanes are assembly points during fire outbreaks and should be reserved for such purposes, rather than congesting them with other structures.
Sarah Apaale, the female councilor of Magwa ward, in southern division, says that, erecting structures in service lanes is contrary to the city trade order, where all traders were evicted from the service lanes.
Apaale further says that, as a means of reducing pressure along the major roads, utility service providers installed pipes and wires in service lanes, which should be safeguarded as a means of easing connectivity to essential services.
Peter Kasolo, the Jinja City Mayor says that, there is a tendency by a section of individuals to act with impunity and hide under the National Resistance Movement-NRM cover to act outside the provisions of the set laws.
“The youths erecting these structures normally clad themselves in NRM T-shirts and they use their loyalty to the ruling party as a bait to promote impunity, which we shall not accept as city authorities,” he says.
Kasolo insists that, the city has it’s set physical development plan with provision of service lanes as part of the general outlook and it is inappropriate for a section of individuals to illegally occupy them.
Edward Lwanga, the City Clerk says that, the semi-permanent structures with concrete floors were erected in the middle of the night, without permission from the city leadership.
Lwanga says that, the kiosk owners have been granted six days to remove the structures or risk forceful eviction by the Jinja city enforcement teams.
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