Arua leaders divided over proposed allocation of land for UPDF barracks

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Arua district officials are divided over the proposed relocation of the military police barracks from Arua city to the district headquarters, to pave way for the development of a 4-star hotel by a private developer.

This follows a plan allegedly spearheaded by the LCV chairperson, Alfred Okuonzi to relocate the military police barracks from Plot 2-20 Enyau road, Arua city to the district headquarters in Odumi Vurra sub-county, contrary to an earlier resolution by the district executive committee to have the barracks relocated to Anyafio within Arua city.

In March 2020, the Arua district executive committee under minute No. ARU/DEC/04/03/2020 recommended that the military police be relocated to a piece of land in Anyafio, Arua city Central Division where Israelites had built a barracks for the military sometime back.

The planned giveaway of a chuck of prime land at the Arua district headquarters for relocation of the military police barracks has generated a sharp disagreement among local leaders. Hope Eyokia, the Vurra sub-county female LCV councilor, says that they cannot allocate land for the relocation before the council has been served a Physical planning report about the planned land use. She notes that any decision of that kind must go through the district council.

Last month, a planned extraordinary district council meeting, which was primarily scheduled to seek council approval for the provision of land for the relocation of military police barracks, flopped under mysterious circumstances.

Boniface Alioni, the Arua district NRM vice chairperson says the decision by the LCV chairperson to give away part of the land, which is meant to host the headquarters to the military is erroneous and uncalled for. He says instead of relocating the military police barracks to Odumi, it should be taken to Bondo barracks where there is plenty of land.

Cosmas Ayikobua, the Arua district LCV Vice Chairperson has distanced himself from the move, saying that such a matter could only be best handled through a council resolution not the ambitions of an individual.

Okuonzi has denied any foul play noting that he is just following the president’s directive on the relocation of the military facility to pave way for the development of a hotel.

In a March 18th, 2018 letter, President Yoweri Museveni directed the then Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Betty Amongi, to allocate government land measuring 3.52 Hectares to Taban Idro, the managing director of Acacia Place Limited for the construction of a park hotel in Arua.

“I therefore, direct you to allocate the piece of land which is in the names of Uganda Land Commission and occupied by the ministry of defense to Mr. Taban for the development of the park Hotel in Arua”, reads part of the letter. According to Idro, the hotel project which is expected to cost between US$4-5 million once complete will provide employment to over 200 individuals.

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