Wakiso locals offer free land for roadworks

Wakiso, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |   Residents of Nakawuka, Kasanje and Kisubi in Wakiso district have offered free land to government to upgrade the road stretching from Mpigi to Nateete in Kampala to tarmac.

The locals contend that the road whose traffic is ever heavy, slows development of their areas due to dust, mud and potholes as the ministry of works and transport cannot keep it in a well maintained state for any reasonable period of time.

President Yoweri Museveni pledged to have the 17km road tarmacked during the 2006 campaigns though he only committed himself in writing in 2018 over the same matter. The residents now say this is the fourth election they are being promised the road upgrade and hope that by offering the land, the government will not fail to fulfill the president’s decade and a half old pledge.

In his letter dated 28th December 2018 to the minister of works and transport, President Museveni stated that the Mpigi-Nakawuka-Kasanje-Kisubi road would enable travelers from the south west and west to go to Entebbe (airport) without having to go through Kampala.

Other roads mentioned in the same letter include that of Busabala in Kampala and Bududa Manafwa Ring Road.

“I hereby, direct you to include the tarmacking of these roads in your plans and budget for the subsequent financial years,” the letter signed by President Museveni and copied to the vice president, prime minister, minister of finance and economic development, minister for local governments and the executive director of the Uganda national roads authority (UNRA) stated.

However, in a message to the locals through Wakiso RDC Rose Kirabira, works and transport minister Edward Katumba Wamala said that implementing President Museveni’s directive on the road remains in balance since government does not have funds to compensate for the residents whose property would be destroyed when construction of the road commences.

Katumba Wamala advises that the residents should accept to lose some their land for construction of the road without demanding for compensation like it is being done in other parts of the country.

The residents have now agreed to surrender some of their land for the upgrade of the road which they say is long overdue.

Brian Mutebi a resident of Kinaawa in Kyengera town council says that the energy and hard work demonstrated by the locals in the areas through which the road passes, is affected because of the bad state of the road which becomes worse when it rains.

Kakinda Male Najib expressed fear that in a situation where government fails to work on the road when the residents have surrendered their land for the works at no cost, it would result into repetitive demonstrations. He says that the road infrastructure in the area which does not match with the ongoing development may scare investors away.

Locals have consented to surrendering 5ft of their land on either side of the road to make it 10 feet towards the work. Charles Lugonvu says that this would not only save the residents from the durst they have suffered for years but it would also add value to their land and work they are doing.

Councilor Nakitende Margret Gasanyula representing Kyengera town council to Wakiso district council wants government to work on the road in a phased manner other than waiting to get the funds in a lumpsum which may not be realized quickly.

She believes that tarmacking a kilometer of the road every financial year would ease the work.

Routine maintenance of the road goes on every after six months but the community believes that the funds used in this process can be utilized to construct a kilometer of tarmac every financial year.

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