KAMPALA – Government has issued a statutory instrument indicating that they are set to take over the piece of land housing St Peter’s Church which was razed in August.
The Lands minister on August 28 issued a notice which was put into the Uganda gazette on August 28 regarding the piece of land situated in Kibuga block 7 plot 39.
“The parcel of land described in part I of the schedule to the instrument is declared to be land required by the government in the interest of public order; being the reconstruction of St Peter’s Church, Ndeeba,” the instrument reads.
Section 3 of the Land Acquisition Act gives the lands minister power to compulsorily take over land. However, the law also requires that before the acquisition, the government should notify its intention to take possession of the land and that claims to compensation for all interested parted.
In August this year, unknown people, descended on the 40-year old church and razed it in the middle of the night. In the aftermath of the demolition, President Yoweri Museveni promised that his government would rebuild the Church.
The razing down of the Ndeeba community-based church that caused enormous anger across all walks of life, followed an earlier order of the High Court to that effect.
The demolition has since led to the arrest and prosecution of 22 people including the alleged owner of the land, Mr Dodoviko Mwanje, security commanders, Kampala Capital City Authority physical planners and others for conspiracy to destroy property.
The criminal case is pending before Makindye Chief Magistrates’ Court with some of the accused persons out on bail.
