Africa-Press – Uganda. Authorities in Namutumba District have embarked on tarmacking all roads in Bugobi Town Council to improve on the network and spur development in the area.
At least 2.5Kms of road network in Bugobi Town Council has been earmarked for tarmacking by Spike Engineering Consult Limited starting next month at a cost of Shs2b.
The roads include; Kibigo-Nakazinga (0.4Kms), Market Street, Nsongwe and Musene, each 0.3Kms; Kyabakaire (0.8Kms), and Koko-Ngobi (0.5Kms).
Mr Sam Katoke, the Bugobi Town Council chairperson, says this will be the first tarmacked roads in Bugobi since it became a Town Council five years ago.
“We have been using Murram roads, but we thank our Members of Parliament and the district council who thought it wise and considered Bugobi Town Council,” Mr Katoke said in an interview on Tuesday.
He added: “This is not only going to make the town look beautiful but also ease the transportation of goods within and outside the Town Council.”
Construction was supposed to start last month (October) but was delayed due to compensation claims from owners of houses which are going to be demolished.
The district engineer, Ms Harriet Babita, however, says the project has no compensation clause, adding that buildings of the Project Affected Persons (PAPs), which were built in the road reserves, are not going to be compensated.
“This is what we always tell people: not to construct houses in road reserves but they deliberately refuse. So, the law is very clear that any building in the road reserve will be cleared with no compensation,” Ms Babita further explained.
She, however, added that they have engaged the community to ensure that the road boundaries are known and clear.
She said on the day they handed over the roads to the contractor, communication about compensation was made in the residents’ presence, including telling them that there was no compensation.
“We do not want our people to get the wrong information; in all our meetings, we have repeatedly said no compensation,” she reiterated.
Mr Peter Wairawo, a landlord in Bugobi Town Council, says a number of buildings are older than the Town Council.
“Bugobi was a Village, became a Trading Centre, Town Board and finally a Town Council; telling us that we constructed houses in road reserves is wrong,” Mr Wairawo said.
He added: “We would take the blame but did not have a plan and a number of houses were built when Bugobi was still a Trading Centre.”
Mr Gibs Mwanda, another landlord, advises that compensation should be based on affected properties, warning that demolishing their buildings without compensation is “wrong and unacceptable”.
Ms Juliet Namugema, a resident of Market Street, says the law should penalise those going to construct houses, but not those who constructed before Bugobi became a Town Council.
“Shs2b is too much money, part of which can be used for compensation,” she suggests, warning that demolishing residents’ houses without compensation will leave them without alternative funds to construct new houses.
Mr Peter Mukembo, one of the PAPs, says if compensation comes on time, he will relocate to a new place.
Mr Yakubu Mugemule, the Town side Ward councillor, says the issue of compensation hasn’t played out as they anticipated as Bugobi Town Council, and warned that it may spiral out of control if not well-handled.
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