Timber dealers operating along Bala road in Lira town are demanding for UGX100 million as compensation from the municipal authorities for loss of business. Recently, Lira Municipality tried to relocate the timber dealers from Bala road to new site at the industrial park in Railways division.
The municipality deployed heavily anti riot armed police along Bala road for three days to block the Timber dealers from conducting any business from there. However, the dealers successfully filed an application in Lira chief magistrate’s court blocking their eviction until the municipality put in place some of the basic requirements at the new site.
Now, through their lawyer, Adams Makmot of Makmot Kibwanga and company advocates the timber dealers are demanding compensation for general damage and loses they incurred during the police operation.
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Adams Makmot says that they are also going to apply for a permanent injunction blocking the municipality from relocating them. Benjamin Okii, chairperson of the Lira Timber dealers association says that they should be compensated because of the heavy losses they incurred in their business.
He explains that during the operation they were not allowed to offload or load any timber. Lira municipality has not yet commented on the demand for compensation by the dealers, as none of the officials could be reached by our reporter.
