LAND WRANGLE HINDERS EXPANSION OF A SCHOOL IN TEREGO TARGETING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

By Sabir Musa

Terego      
        
A section of community members in Leju Town Council are protesting giveaway of land measuring about 13 hectares to establish Bishop Cipriano Kihangire school of hope.

Maraju and Orivu Clans in 1990s offered the land for construction of school targeting children with special needs, which has since upgraded to establish a nursery and lower primary sections operational since last year, now with an enrolment of 100 learners.

Director of the school, Rev. Sr. Clare Ndezu reveals that, multi-stakeholder meetings were held to address the complaints. “I had to make a special meeting to get key stakeholders involving local government. We shared about it because if the dream is indeed big in this place that we also wish to establish a secondary school then we will need an adequate space” the Director noted.

Director of Bishop Cipriano Kihangire School of Hope, Rev. Sr. Clare Ndezu in an Interview

About 2 hectares of the land is contested as section of community members say it was not part of the original size given. One of the clan members, Festus Aluma explains that, this concern is raised to ensure peaceful coexistence between the school and community. “We will come to the school leaders (management) and solve the issue amicably. The intension is not that we don’t like this school, even me am very proud that the school is established here” he clarifies.

Access to the school also remains challenge as a wall fence purportedly belonging to State Minister for Urban Development and Terego East County MP, Mario Obiga Kania is constructed on the road reserve. The Minister refutes this claims but challenge district council to work on physical plan as a better form of preventing such cases. “My position is (first), I don’t have a house there. I have a piece of land there, I have not even got a title for it. So where does the issue of boundary come in?” the Minister wonders, stating that “the owner of that house is known. Leju is still a new town council, the issue of boundary still depends on individuals who had land there and they are the ones to agree with town council on location of roads”.

However, Terego District Chairperson, Wilfred Saka is hopeful that challenges of land wrangles will be addressed since the land board already in place. “We have land hawkers and grabbers here, they use every trick to defraud common man of his land, and this is where the problem is. But my happiness is that we have in place District Land Board chaired by retired justice Augustus Kania, they will be able to get into bottom of the all these things happening” the LC 5 assures.

The school currently has dormitories, classrooms for nursery and lower primary sections, convent center and a 2 floor storied building (yet to be finished) constructed on the land.

COVER PHOTO: One of the structures contructed by the school management. It's part of development that management plans. By Sabir Musa