Row over land frustrates Mubuku irrigation scheme

KASESE- The completion of Mubuku II Irrigation Scheme in Kasese District into a modern scheme has hit a snag.
This is after the district authorities failed to strike a deal with Mr Dan Kashagama Bazira, the owner of the 15-acre piece of land, where the pipeline is supposed to pass.

The project was to tap water from Nyamwamba River through Mr Kashagama’s estate. But he has since vowed not to surrender his land until a re-evaluation exercise is done, three months to the end of the project.

“I have been accused of failing the project since 2014 to date, but no formal communication has ever been given to me in request for the land in question.

“I don’t know how much is needed and at what value. I only rejected to sign an agreement that was meant to take my land title for two years,” Mr Kashagama said on Wednesday.

Farmers in 2014 also tasked government to ensure the system is efficient before it is launched.
For instance, a farmer, Mr John Rubandema, said: “The yet-to-be tested system had been flooding nearby areas due to poor drainage.”

Disunity
The Kasese Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr Hanny Turyaheebwa, said despite the three months left to the end of the project, the construction work done is not even 30 per cent of the total work.
He attributed the delay to non-compliance by the landlord.

“It is true we are having the implementation challenge with some of the landlords but we have tried to engage all the stakeholders. We have convened more than three meetings but the talks have not yielded any positive results,” Mr Turyahhebwa said.

Mr Henry Kizito, the principal engineer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, while handing over the site in 2017, said the project was aimed at empowering farmers and putting Uganda to a middle income status.

Government rehabilitated Mubuku irrigation scheme in 2014 at Shs19b but to date, the area has been underutilised.
It is now an area with perennial crops such as mangoes and oranges instead of seasonal and high value crops as per the President’s directive.

Background

In July 2017, Kasese District authorities in the company of the Ministry of Water and Environment officials, handed over the construction site to the contractor, M/s Pearl Engineering, to start the work under a contract lease of Nyakatonzi Growers’ Cooperative Union for a period of two years.
The project was to occupy part of Mr Dan Kashagama’s land, however, he has since rejected the first evaluation exercise reasoning that he has never received any formal request for his land despite verbal communication from the Ministry of Water and Environment.

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