By Van Deguras
KABALE: The minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi has clashed with his counterpart, the state Minister for finance in charge of general duties Henry Ariganyira Musasizi over the operationalisation of Kabale city.
The government set 2025 as the year for operationalizing Kabale city, one of the administrative areas which were elevated to a city status by Parliament in 2020.
However, during his thanksgiving that was held at St Mary’s Cathedral Rushoroza Catholic Church in South Division of Kabale municipality on Sunday, Musasizi told the people of Kabale to forget and drop the hopes about the elevation of Kabale municipality into a city.
Musasizi, who is also the Rubanda East Member of Parliament, said that the creation of new administrative units in the country including cities is a waste of government resources and has no contribution to the development of this country.
He added that the government led by president Museveni has decided to stop the creation of new administrative units in the country due to financial constraints.
However Musasizi’s comments are a complete departure from the statement by the Local Government’s minister Magyezi, who talked to this Website in a phone interview later.
Magyezi, whose ministry is charged with operationalizing the remaining five cities, says he has not received any information from the president regarding the change of the Parliament resolution that approved the creation of the city in 2020.
Magyezi revealed that he intends to meet minister Musasizi to harmonize the information he uttered on Sunday. He however appealed to the people of Kabale to remain optimistic about the city saying that any changes regarding the operationalisation of the city are supposed to be reached by cabinet and officially communicated to the people.
During his earlier visit to the Kabale municipality to harmonize the irregularities in the resettlement of the vendors in the newly constructed Kabale central market, Minister Magyezi asked the people and the leadership of Kabale municipality to prepare and organize the municipality ahead of the operationalisation of Kabale city come 2025.
Kabale city is among the 15 cities that were approved by cabinet and that are to be operationalised in a phased manner.
Ten of these became operational in the first phase. They include Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Fort portal, Mbarara, Hoima, Masaka, Mbale, Soroti and Lira while Entebbe, Nakasongola, Moroto, Kabale and Wakiso are expected to become operational in 2025.
