Leaders ask govt to speed up compensation for oil road
An army truck uses Karugutu-Ntoroko road, which connects to DR Congo. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- According to UNRA, the road is among the oil roads whose upgrading was supposed to start in the financial year 2021/2022.The road stretch passes through Tooro Semliki game reserve up to Lake Albert. Work on some of the 12 oil roads started in April 2018.
Local leaders in Ntoroko District have asked government to expedite the compensation process to kick-start the construction of Karugutu-Ntoroko road, which connects to DR Congo.
Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) plans to upgrade the 55.4km of the road to a class II bituminous surface, with culverts and drainage channels. The works had been scheduled to start in 2020.
The district chairman, Mr William Kasoro, said trucks with merchandise from Kampala enroute to DR Congo use the road, which is in a sorry state.
“Traders use this road up to Kanara landing site on Lake Albert but the government has delayed to tarmac it,” he said.
Mr Kasoro said the heavy trucks have over time damaged the roads, especially during rainy season.
The renovation of the road comes at a time when the Ministry of Works and Transport is in final stages of handing over the construction of Shs11.3b Ntoroko border port at Kanara Landing Site on Lake Albert to Uganda Revenue Authority.
The trucks from Kampala using Karugutu-Ntoroko road will be parking at the port to off load goods going to eastern DR Congo. “We thank the government for constructing the border port in our district but they should expedite the compensation process,” he said.
The Kanara town council chairman, Mr David Kor, said many people in the road reserve were compensated three years ago but works have been delayed.
“In 2016, we were promised that the road was earmarked in the national budget but nothing has been done, we have had series of engagements with Ministry of Works and Transport and they keep promising us,” he said.
The Ntoroko Woman MP, Ms Anna Mary Tumwiine, said people whose land and houses were earmarked can no longer develop the land.
“This road does not have many people that need to be compensated because a big part of the road passes through game reserve, but up to now, the compensation is not complete,” she said.
The State Minister for Works and Transport, Mr Fred Byamukama, said the government had earlier planned to get funds to work on road from UK-AID, but did not get money, thus delaying the project.
Mr Byamukama said the Ministry of Finance is still looking for the funds following a presidential directive.
“The President directed that we look for money and work on the road and we shall work on it in the next financial year and the compensation of people is ongoing above 80 percent,” he said.
Mr Byamukama said the Works ministry agreed with UNRA to maintain the road as they wait for tarmacking.
