Mpigi residents pull down houses for expressway
Demolition. A casual worker demolishes houses in Kalagala, Mpigi Town Council, to pave way for the construction of Busega Mpigi Express highway on February 6. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO
What you need to know:
- Records. According to Unra records, out of the 490 PAPs, who have so far been cleared to receive compensation, a total of 232 are in Mpigi Town Council.
Mpigi. Residents on the demarcated road reserves on Busega-Mpigi Expressway have started pulling down their houses to pave way for the project.
So far, at least 50 houses have been demolished in the villages of Kalagala, Mawonve, Lufuka, Police Centre, Mpami-Bikondo, Ggala, Maziba-Nkonge and Lungala–all in Mpigi Town Council.
The head of corporate communications at Uganda Roads Authority (Unra), Mr Mark Ssali, says at least 490 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) have so far been evaluated and some have already received their compensation.
“Some Shs10.4b has so far been approved for compensation and some residents, who will be physically displaced, have already received their packages. However, the evaluation exercise is still ongoing because we started with residents on the first section of 5.8kms in Mpigi Town Council,” he said during an interview on Wednesday.
According to Unra records, out of the 490 PAPs, who have so far been cleared to receive compensation, a total of 232 are in Mpigi Town Council.
Mr Allan Ssempebwa Kyobe, themedia relations manager at Unra, said he is optimistic that clearing the demarcated route will hasten civil works once the contractor for the project is identified.
“We do this so that the contractor does not claim for idle time. This is why we commenced the land acquisition process for Busega – Mpigi Expressway early enough, and our target is to have at least 30 per cent of land acquired as soon as possible,” he said.
The proposed four-lane Busega-Mpigi Expressway is among the roads that had been lined up for construction in 2011, but delays to secure funds for the project and procuring a suitable contractor are blamed for holding back the project.
Last year, the Inspector General of Government, Ms Irene Mulyagonja, directed the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) to investigate the procurement process following numerous whistle-blowers’ complaints that the bid documents submitted by CMC Di Ravenna/Advent were inconsistent with the bidder’s name where the company is registered.
Later, the PPDA released a report indicating that CMC Di Ravenna/Advent, which Unra had selected to construct the road, had inconsistencies in its bid documents.
The project, which is now expected to commence later this year, will cost Shs500b.
The Mpigi District chairperson, Mr Peter Claver Mutuluza, said residents pulled down their houses after receiving compensation which can enable them construct new houses elsewhere.
“Our people should only cooperate with Unra to see that civil works are done on time without resistance. This is an achievement for the government,” he said.
Unra has tasked residents who were compensated to relocate before they’re forcefully evicted and avoid damaging of their property.
Residents accuse Unra
However, some residents called for probe into the compensation method claiming their property was undervalued.
“We were not compensated for some of our property like gardens and we want those responsible to look into this matter,” Mr Joseph Mulindwa, a resident of Lungala Village, said.
Ms Joan Namukwaya, a business woman at Mpigi – Bikondo Centre, advised those complaining to sue government if they feel dissatisfied with the compensation packages given to them.
The proposed 30-kilometre expressway starts at Busega and takes a south-westerly direction to Mpigi Town through several villages and swamps.
It will connect to the existing Kampala–Masaka –Mbarara highway which leads to the common border with Rwanda via Mirama hills and Kagitumba.
Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway is one of the busiest in the country with an average daily traffic count of 20,908 vehicles using the road daily.
PROPOSED EXPRESSWAY
The proposed new expressway will include four major interchanges to facilitate interconnection with roads at designated points at Nabbingo, Nsangi, Maya and Lungala in Wakiso District off both the Northern Bypass and the Entebbe-Expressway whose expansion and construction is ongoing. The new road will pass through 21 villages spread in two town councils (Kyengera and Mpigi) and two sub-counties of Kiringete and Wakiso.
Complied by Sadat Mbogo,Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa & Wilson Kutamba
