Locals block roadworks over pay
A section of the Ntungamo-Mirama hills road undergoing construction. PHOTO BY PEREZ RUMANZI
What you need to know:
Complaint. Affected residents say they will allow construction of the Ntungamo-Mirama Hills road on their land after they have received compensation
Ntungamo.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has blamed the delayed and selective compensation of those affected by the construction of Ntungamo-Mirama Hills road on Bank of Uganda’s failure to remit the money to accounts of respective claimants.
Residents affected by the road project have blocked the contractor, Zongmei Construction Company, from accessing their land before compensation.
They accuse UNRA of failing to pay to enable them relocate their homes.
“Government decided that any money above Shs200,000 be paid through the bank, and only Bank of Uganda can handle that. If there is any delay, it is by Bank of Uganda and not UNRA. The agreements you signed are not between you and UNRA but you and government. You need to know that,” Mr Martin Olwa, the UNRA project manager, told a meeting of claimants at Ruhaama Archdeaconry Church on Wednesday.
However, he said there was a chance for the claimants to be paid soon. He pleaded with them to allow the contractor access their land as they wait for their compensation.
“The agreement we made with Trademark East Africa expires in September 2016. If by then the road is not complete, the funding will be withdrawn and there will be an assumption that for the incomplete parts, Ruhaama people do not want the road there. There is no politics in this. We have no control over it,” Mr Olwa said.
“The biggest challenge is they give money to a neighbour and for me they tell me to wait and give way. They also undervalued our properties while others had their valuation raised. No one can allow this. Many people you see here are waiting for you to tell them ‘we are giving you money on this date.’ Without telling them the date, it’s a waste of time telling them to destroy their houses and leave,” Mr Joseph Mukasa, the Ruhaama Sub-county NRM chairperson and a claimant, told UNRA during the meeting.
Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner Justine Mbabazi asked the residents to give way for the construction works and wait for compensation like people in other areas have done.
She said the upgraded road will bolster the district’s development.
At least 17km of the 37km road section has been partially completed, 8km have not been cleared due to disputes over land compensation.
The $22 million road project is funded by Trademark East Africa and co-funded by the Uganda government.
