Kachanga Police Station in Kalangala district has been evicted over accumulated rental arrears worth 4 million shillings. In 2008, Police headquarters entered into an agreement with Godfrey Ssebakijje, a local businessman to accommodate Kachanga Police Station after unidentified arsonists set the police premises ablaze. Under the agreement Police headquarters was expected to pay shillings 100,000 each month for rent. But Ssebakijje says that since 2009, the police headquarters has not remitted any money to him.
As a result, on Monday Ssebakijje evicted the police station from his premises throwing out about ten cops. Ssebakijje says that he has repeatedly sent demand notes to the police headquarter but they have not been honored yet he has financial problems to solve. Godfrey Matte, the Kalangala district Police commander says he is unable to help. Matte says that he has communicated to police headquarters in Kampala to intervene and clear the outstanding rental arrears.
He says that the affected cops have been relocated to Kachanga Health Center as they await a response from Police headquarters. The decision to relocate the evicted cops to Kachanga Health Center has drawn angry reactions from fishermen at Kachanga landing site. Moses Kazibwe, the chairperson Kachanga Beach Management Unit says that the fishermen are angry because the cops have caused congestion at the health center. He says that the presence of the cops at the health center has also caused discomfort among patients visiting the health center.
Kazibwe advises the police headquarters to clear the rental arrears and allow the cops to return to their premises. Simon Kuteesa, the Uganda Police Spokesperson says that they are aware of the rental arrears. He attributes their failure to clear the rent arrears to the delayed quarterly financial releases to the force and failure by some landlords to sign tenancy agreements.
