Martin Ssebuyira and Isaac Baligema
23 July 2008
Confusion surrounds the construction of a new access road to link the Centenary Leisure Park and upcoming Oasis Shopping Mall/Hotel following renewed rivalry between the developers.
The construction stalled shortly after it started at the weekend as the two businesswomen behind the projects accused each other of encroaching on each other's project.
Besides serving the developments, the access road is also intended to divert traffic from Yusuf Lule Road at the Garden City roundabout, to Wampero Avenue, behind Hotel Africana.
Trouble started when Oasis Projects, owned by Ms Amina Hersi Mogue, a Somali investor and proprietor of Khadhar Investments Ltd, constructed a fence.
Nalongo Estates Ltd, which runs a Kampala City Council 10-year management contract for the Centenary Park is protesting the construction.
It says the wall is encroaching on space designated for part of the access road, leaving a narrow stretch only enough for one car and so close to their gym.
Nalongo Estates Managing Director Sarah Kizito denied that she was using KCC to harass Khadhar Investments. Kizito said Khadhar was in a breach of an earlier agreement in meetings.
"To our surprise, she has only off-set two and a-half metres instead of the agreed eight. The road is planned as a two-way, but the space left is now only enough for one car. Why can't Amina give the metres of land as agreed in the meeting?" said Ms Kizito.
"This is a public road which is going to benefit all of us including her businesses. A road so close to my building will not only affect it, but it will also cause unnecessary congestion here because it is only enough for one car."
Ms Amina said the land is included in her title, which she could not just give away.
She questioned moves by Nalongo Estates to invest in road works around her projects which is the responsiblity of the the City Council. "How do they come all the way to construct a road next to my projects? Are they KCC? What is their interest," wondered the Somali investor.
Ms Amina accused Ms Kizito of using some people within KCC to undermine her projects. Ms Kizito too said the police have been siding with her business rival whenever there are crises at the Centenary Park. Ms Kizito is wife to Kampala Central Chairman Godfrey Nyakana.
KCC law enforcers unsuccessfully attempted to stop the wall construction as they were shortly driven out of the site by the police. Police have since deployed at the place.
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