Govt gets Shs110b for new railway project

What you need to know:

The minister made the announcement during a sensitisation meeting with district leaders and the public on the progress of the $3.2 billion railway network project at Wash and Wills Hotel in Mbale Town on Thursday. The meeting drew local leaders and other participants from Pallisa, Budaka, Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa and Kibuku districts

MBALE.

The Minister of Works and Transport, Mr John Byabagambi, has said the government has received Shs110 billion to compensate people affected by the construction of the multi-billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.

The minister made the announcement during a sensitisation meeting with district leaders and the public on the progress of the $3.2 billion railway network project at Wash and Wills Hotel in Mbale Town on Thursday. The meeting drew local leaders and other participants from Pallisa, Budaka, Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa and Kibuku districts.

“All those people affected by the implementation of the SGR project will be fully compensated before the commencement of the project. I appeal for your cooperation by sensitising the residents to allow the workers access their land to carry out the assessment and soil texture analysis for them to be compensated,” said Mr Byabagambi.

Uganda is going to construct a $3.2 billion (about Shs10 trillion) railway line which will link the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan together.

The project will be undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company and works are expected to be completed in 36 months from the start of works in March 2016.

The project will cover 1,614km funded by the Chinese Exim Bank. The compensation assessment process has already begun.