Africa-Press – Uganda. An ongoing land wrangle in Jinja City is threatening the completion of a Shs16.5b road project funded by the World Bank (WB) under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) Programme II.
Works on Eng Zikusooka Road (1.9km), Busoga Avenue (0.35km) and Main Street extension to State Lodge (0.5km) started on February 14, 2020, and were expected to be completed within 15 months (by May 2021).
However, the project that is being undertaken by Stirling Civil Engineering Ltd has been interrupted after Ntake Bakery and Company Ltd rejected a request by Jinja City authorities to demolish its perimeter wall, which was allegedly constructed in the road reserve.
Mr Joseph Sserunjogi, the Vice President of Jinja City Development Forum (CDF), a medium comprising local stakeholder meant to bridge the gap between the community and the urban authorities, said they have engaged both parties in vain.
“We have played our role by talking to Ntake but failed, and when we contacted the city authorities, they told us to leave the issues to them,” he said.
In a June 3, 2020 letter signed by the former manager of Ntake Bakery Ltd Jinja Branch, Ms Carline Nalulya, the company claims the perimeter wall is within its legally-owned land.
“Before constructing the wall, we engaged a surveyor called Ronald Ssengendo who showed us the extent of the plot and our building engineer followed the same boundary to put up the wall,” the letter reads in part.
Mr Moses Bizitu, the Jinja City council speaker, however, insists that the perimeter wall be removed to allow utilisation of the road.
“Ntake had earlier accepted to demolish the perimeter wall, but he was misled into thinking that since it is a World Bank project, he will be compensated yet the project has no compensation clause.
“If Ntake refuses to pull down the wall, we shall mobilise residents to boycott buying their products because his company is blocking the development of the city of which he is a beneficiary,’’ Mr Bizitu said.
Mr Gaster Lutaaya, the managing director of Ntake Bakery and Company Ltd, said the perimeter wall is not in a road reserve.
“The perimeter wall is located within the actual boundaries; it is not in public land but in our land. If the Council wants to use part of our land, they should write to us, we negotiate and they meet all the costs of demolishing and reconstructing it,’’ he said.
Mr Richard Kakaire, a boda boda rider, said the Council should meet the cost of demolishing the perimeter wall because no one is allowed to put up a structure minus a plan.
“The city officials should meet all the costs because it was their fault to accept the investor to construct in the road reserve. They should not harass investors who create jobs for our brothers and sisters,’’ he said.
Mr Ambrose Ocen, the Jinja City Town Clerk, said they have written to the Ministry of Lands to provide them with a surveyor who will give them a report on this issue.
