Jinja city residents protest delayed compensation by SGR

Jinja, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |   More than 1,000 families whose houses were demolished to pave way for the Standard Gauge Railway construction in Jinja City have protested delayed compensation.

The victims from the suburbs of Mpumudde, Mafubira, Bugembe and Kakira argue that, ever since SGR officials earmarked their property for compensation in 2016, they are yet to be compensated.

Patrick Kaliro, a resident of Mpumudde west B village says that SGR officials have failed to come up with a clear explanation on when they will compensate them.

Kaliro further says that part of his house was damaged following heavy rains early last year but SGR officials blocked him from repairing it promising to compensate him before the end of December last year.

Prossy Ouma, a resident of Makenke village says that SGR officials barred her from burying her late husband who passed away in 2018 claiming that, they would be compensated but their promise has failed to materialize.  

Afrikano Agaba, a resident of Wairaka village says that all the tenants departed from his rentals in 2017, citing eviction threats from SGR officials which have cost him loses for close to three years yet the compensation for the same has never been paid.

David Mugabe the SGR Deputy Spokesperson who spoke in a phone call interview with URN says that they are yet to obtain standard property rates from the Jinja district land officials which will ease payment of the project beneficiaries.

The Standard Gauge railway is expected to link regional economies mainly the inland markets within the East African Community to the Sea Ports; Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa of Kenya.

In 2014, EAC member countries in the Northern Corridor signed a protocol to have the Standard Gauge Railway, which is funded by China.

Project works which started in Kenya have already stretched through Nairobi to Naivasha, and soon will connect to Kisumu and later, Malaba.

There has been tension about the slow progress on the side of Uganda, with fears that the project could hit a snag.

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URN