Kampala Flyover hits a snag over Centenary Park dispute

The Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) has said Lot 2 of the Kampala Flyover project has hit a snag over a dispute on Centenary Park land.

The Shs659 billion project, according to Unra, has stalled because the Centenary Park occupant, Nalongo Estates, wants to be compensated for developments on the land before they are demolished to create space for the flyover. 

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Speaking to this publication yesterday, the head of bridges and structures at Unra, Mr Lawrence Pario, said the lease for Nalongo Estates expired and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA took over the land but the estate is demanding for compensation. 

“We have so far secured the land from the Electoral Commission (EC) but we still have unresolved issues on the Centenary park land. KCCA allowed us (Unra) to use the land, but the Nalongo Estates which earlier occupied the land want to be compensated for their infrastructure,” Mr Pario said by telephone yesterday.

He added: “Our legal team together with other land experts are resolving the matter. I think very soon we shall be able to take over that Centenary Park land after settling all the disputes.”
When contacted, Ms Sarah Kizito, the proprietor of Nalongo Estates declined to comment and hang up the phone after our reporter briefed her about the matter. 

This was followed by phone calls that went unanswered untill press time. However, without revealing the amount, highly placed sources confirmed that Ms Kizito wants compensation for the developments on the land. 

Apart from the compensation issue, Mr Pario said Unra has to also work with relevant agencies to relocate the booster water pump, electricity transformer and high voltage power lines and other facilities in the park before embarking on project works on the land.

The Kampala Flyover project will be constructed in two phases, which Unra is referring to as lots.
Mr Pario said Lot 1 of the project, involving works at Queen’s way, Nsambya junction and part of Mukwano road, is at 80 percent completion rate. It is expected to be completed in August. 

He said: “By June (2023) we will have done all the roadworks and by the end of August we will have installed the traffic lighting, marking of the road and all other road signs.”

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Initially, Lot 1 was slated to be completed by December last year, however, Mr Pario has attributed the delays to Covid-19 and delays in the procurement process. He said there were also delays in the delivery of the materials because most of the construction materials are shipped from abroad. 

EC hands over premises
Meanwhile, the chairman of EC, Justice Simon Byabakama, yesterday handed over the former head offices of the electoral body on Jinja Road to Unra. 

Justice Byabakama said Unra paid EC Shs23 billion as compensation.

The move will pave way for the demolition of the structures in preparation for the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Lot 2 of the Kampala Flyover project which was expected to kick off in February next year.

The flyover project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), is expected to mitigate traffic congestion problems in Kampala City. 

It will involve the construction of a flyover, an underpass at Nsambya, upgrading and improving roads and junctions.

Jica said on completion, motorists would spend less than 30 minutes on the various routes connected to the flyover. 

On its website, Jica said the flyover will improve the traffic flow concentrated in the existing expressway (Entebbe-Kampala) by constructing flyovers in major junctions that are particularly conjected in Kampala city (at Clock Tower and Kitgum House) and widening major roads connecting the junctions including Hotel Africana,  Mukwano Road.

In 2017, the World Bank estimated that traffic congestion costs the country more than Shs2.8 trillion annually.ss