The proposed relocation of a washing bay and abattoir from South division to West Division in Fort Port municipality has met stiff resistance from local leaders. Early this week, Fort Portal Municipal executive committee resolved to relocate the washing bay and abattoir from Kabundaiire in South division to Kibimba in West division.
The executive set the end of this month as the deadline for relocating both utilities. The executive committee argues that the current location of the abattoir and washing bay are not gazetted places for the two facilities because they are in the centre of the municipality. However, local leaders led by ArimanzanTinkasimmire, the LC 3 chairman of West Division have rejected the proposal relocation of the utilities.
Tinkasimiire is threatening to mobilize residents to demolish the abattoir, once it starts operating saying that they were not consulted before a decision to relocate the facilities was taken. He says wants the municipality to find identify to find an alternative place where to relocate the traders who are currently occupying the area where the abattoir will be located.
He also says that the municipal council should also compensate the division for the revenue they will lose when the traders are relocated.
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It was the unanimous decision of the councilors and technical staff to resist the relocation.They has also petitioned the Minister of Local Government to intervene in the matter. However Francis Magezi, a resident of West division advises the local leaders not to reject the relocation of both facilities will saying they will help the division to generate its own local revenue. Magezi also says that some of the unemployed youths in the division may get opportunities to work at the washing bay.
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But Margaret Kihika, the Deputy Mayor Fort Portal Municipality insists that both facilities will be relocated at the end of the month. Kihika says that the abattoir can’t be in the centre of the town, because it is in a bad state. She also says that the two facilities are polluting a section of river Mpanga at Kabundaire. She says that the waste from the abattoir such as blood and cow dung and oils from the washing bay pour into Mpanga river.
