Africa-Press – Uganda. The delay in compensation of project-affected persons has hindered the progress of the Rwenkunye-Apac Road project, according to the contractor.
Sadeem Al-Kuwait General Trading and Contracting Company, a Kuwait-based firm, is implementing the project. The Shs317 billion project is funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Government of Uganda.
The project, commissioned by President Museveni in October 2020, was supposed to run for 36 months. However, the duration has now elapsed but the construction work is at 47 percent.
The 90.9km road project or Lot 1 is part of the 191km road that stretches from Rwenkunye in Kiryandongo District through Apac-Lira-Puranga to Acholi Bur in Pader District.
Apac –Lira –Puranga –Acholi-Bur Road project is implemented under Lot 2 by Gulsan Construction Company, a Turkey-based firm.
Last Friday, Sadeem Al-Kuwait said Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) has handed over 59 kilometres of the road section where the land owners have been compensated. However, the land owners in the 31.9 kilometre section are not yet compensated and the company does not have the right to use that land.
Mr Mohammad Abilal, the project manager, said major work on the site handed over to Sadeem Al-Kuwait is already done and some of their equipment is now redundant.
“We have finished some activities and we don’t have another section to start work like bush clearing, removal of topsoil and grading. Some of our equipment is idle,” he said.
Mr Jonas Arinaitwe, the land acquisition officer at Unra, said the process to compensate the project-affected persons is underway and it will be done before the end of the current financial year.
“We are still compensating people. We are left with the last section, and we hope to be doing that on June 4 this year,” he said on Monday.
Mr Peter Obong Acuda, one of the project-affected persons, said his land was valued two years ago but he is yet to receive his compensation package.
“My attempts to follow up the compensation with Unra have never yielded any fruit. I and many people claiming for compensation have contacted a lawyer so that we can follow up on our compensation through legal means,” he said.
Mr Nickson Adoko, another project-affected person at Corner Amii in Ibuje Sub-county, said he would not allow any work on his land until he is fully compensated.
about project
The physical progress of the works on Rwenkunye—Apac road [90.9km] by November 2023 was at 36.14 percent, according to Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra).
Unra says the project is being conducted in Kungu, Alwala,
Awila, Ibuje and Akokoro, the birthplace of the late President Apollo Milton Obote.
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