Kampala, (UG): President Yoweri Museveni has okayed the proposal by Chinese Investor Tian Tang of Tian Tiang Group to relocate Uganda’s Luzira Maximum Prison and re-develop the land into a five-star Hotel.
The President in his letter dated July 10, 2022 addressed to Internal affairs Minister, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, revealed that he received a proposal from Tian Tang Group proposing to re-develop the Luzira Prison into a five-star Hotel, with a Conference Center and relocate the Prison, at their cost, to another place on a land identified by the Government.
“I have received a letter from Tian Tang Group proposing to re-develop the Luzira Prison into a five star Hotel, with a conference center- and relocate the prison, at their cost, to another place in the interior on a land identified by the government,” Museveni wrote in the letter.
Mr Museveni hence directed Minister Otafiire to implement the proposal that will see Luzira Prison relocated to another designated place and allow the commencement for the construction of an International Conference and Commercial Hub Center on the land.
“I totally support this idea,” the President added, before directing Gen Otafiire to start negotiations with Tian Tang Group about this Programme and also identify land “anywhere in the country” to relocate the Prison.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in a letter dated February 22, 2024, addressed to the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice and Cortional Affairs invited the two offices to a consultative meeting on the matter.
The meeting, according to the letter will take place on the 6 March 2024 at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Boardroom.
“The purpose of this letter is to invite you and the Administrator General to my office on the 6th March 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Boardroom for a joint meeting to review the said position of the family and whether your offices have any objections or proposals to actualize the said Presidential Directive,” Otafiire said in the letter.
New land identified for Luzira Prison relocation
Accordingly, the Uganda Prisons Service has identified 3.5 square miles in Buikwe out of which they have agreed to purchase one square mile for the said relocation.
“The family of the Late Antonio Lutwama Kabogoza who owned the land has unfortunately never applied for letters of Administration since the Late passed on in 1928 although they have agreed as a family and beneficiaries to sell the said square mile to the Uganda Prison.”
The Ministry says in light of the current legal impasse on processing Letters of Administration for the old Buganda estates, the family lawyers have formed an opinion that they (beneficiaries) can still sell their interest in the said land to the Uganda Prisons Service for the Prisons relocation.
The actualization of the presidential directive would end the existence of Luzira Prisons at its current Lake Victoria shore location where it was established in 1927.
As of July 2016, Luzira is the only maximum security prison in the country and houses Uganda’s death row inmates.
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