Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja has challenged her political rival to publicly produce evidence implicating her in alleged collusion with brokers to unlawfully acquire city land.
Addressing residents of Kitengeesa Ward in Nyendo–Mukungwe Division, Namayanja accused her opponents of resorting to character assassination because they lack a clear development agenda for the city.
“My opponents have no manifesto or tangible plan. That’s why they spend their time talking about me. I have delivered for this city, and I am committed to tarmacking the Kitengeesa road up to the point where it joins the city,” she told the gathering.
Namayanja specifically singled out Democratic Front (DF) candidate Michael Mulindwa, inviting him to present his performance record over the past four years.
“Let Mulindwa come here and tell you what he has achieved. He has nothing to show, so he keeps tarnishing my name and calling me a land grabber. If he claims I conspired with anyone to grab government land, let him bring the evidence and name the people involved,” she added.
She attributed the attacks to political envy, saying DF leaders have never forgiven her for declining to join their party and instead choosing to remain in the National Unity Platform (NUP).
“We voted for Kyagulanyi in 2021, and he remains our candidate. Why should I jump to every party that comes my way?” she asked.
Namayanja also promised to install more security lights in dark areas of the city and to improve dilapidated road networks. She urged residents to give NUP another mandate, saying it would position them to benefit from a future NUP-led national government.
However, DF candidate Michael Mulindwa accused the mayor of derailing Masaka’s rapid development by engaging in corruption and avoiding coordination meetings led by the area Member of Parliament.
“Masaka was developing fast when all leaders worked as a team, but when Namayanja got entangled with land grabbers, she became evasive and stopped attending planning meetings,” Mulindwa said.
He claimed that despite several warnings about Namayanja’s alleged misconduct, many leaders dismissed the concerns because they believed her two-term experience as MP meant she had abandoned “bad habits of taking government property.”
Mulindwa alleged that Namayanja is linked to brokers behind the controversial demolition of Masaka Children’s Park and several disputed plots of land. He accused her of attempting to dispose of city property as the election season distracts the public.
He vowed to work with other authorities to block any illegal land transactions, insisting that the city urgently needs land for major projects including a new city hall, a central market, and a seed secondary school in Kimaanya–Kabonera Division.
“We cannot allow individuals to take land that should support Masaka’s development,” Mulindwa said.
